BEYOND THE MAGIC OF NUMBERS

Enter a three-digit number. Below, the same with the amounts invested. Subtract the smallest to the largest of them. Sum your figures. Does the result is 18?

You are not making use of supernatural powers that go beyond the computer screen. It is magic. Specifically, this simple game belongs to the branch called "mathemagic".

 What does it involve? 
"Certain mathematical principles can be used to do magic tricks. For example, the principle of parity,  numbering bases or some ideas probabilistic and combinatorial... " Says Carlos Vinuesa (mathematician and magician and researcher at the University of Cambridge).

At first , one might think that these two fields have little in common: the magic is more about digital techniques and psychological , with communication or emotions. And mathematics develop strategies, language and structures to better understand reality. However, " the systematic way of thinking of mathematics is revealed very useful in magic. Besides, certain mathematical properties artfully combined with subtleties and magical techniques are extremely powerful" says Vinuesa.

The trick lies behind the value of these games is clear: "Although most magical effects based on mathematical properties are obvious to mathematicians themselves, their secrets are beyond the reach of most people," tell Pedro Alegría and Juan Carlos Ruiz de Arcaute in La matemágica desvelada. Thus, the knowledge of such secrets provides great potential to create the impression of real magic before the minds of the viewers.

This is nothing new. The arithmetic properties have fascinated mankind for centuries. First, admiration went beyond illusionism use . Pythagorean time, the digits were associated with mystical qualities. 

The Greek sect believed, after certain discoveries as the three consecutive numbers 3, 4 and 5 formed a triangle, that some numbers had magical powers  " The breakthrough in the study of numbers and their properties has led to more educated communities have ceased to believe in such mystical attributes and use them to settle for a more folk." described in the text La matemágica develada.

But although for the Pythagoreans all is number, this does not happen in the mathemagic. Properties are used in many other branches of science, such as probability, geometry, or simply amazing qualities of reality analyzed through mathematics. "A common between mathematics and magic is that intuition and previous experience can result in surprising facts to find that the reality of some events goes against expectations ", explains in La matemágica desvelada.

I leave you with one of the best "mathemagician" of america: Arthur T. Benjamin

Enjoy it!