A Tangled Tale

Stories with nodes ( original English title A Tangled Tale ) is a collection of mathematical puzzles stories of the author Lewis Carroll. Originally, it appeared from April 1880 to November 1884 in the journal The Monthly Packet, 1886 revised and Frost provided with illustrations by Arthur Burdett as a book by Macmillan Publishers. The German translation by Walter E. Richartz was published in 1978.

Construction

The book contains ten short stories, called nodes, each containing one or more mathematical problems. Chance to find conundrums and paradoxes. The tasks are solved with standard school knowledge, there occur systems of linear equations, the rule of three and the like. In the second part, the solutions are presented to the tasks. These begin with the data extracted from the history of the problem and a solution including solution. Subsequently, Carroll extracts the submitted by the readers using pseudonyms solutions, in which he ridiculed especially the submitter false solutions in spaßigem tone. Again and again, he also points to the need to not only the solution but also the approach to send, and finally goes over to no longer mention the submitter of solutions without solution. The solutions are each terminated by a listing of those who submitted a correct solution, divided into three classes, depending on the quality of the solution. After some further remarks follow solutions to earlier tasks that resulted from letters between Carroll and individual readers.

A task dateline remains unresolved, as Carroll, as he writes, the necessary information that he hoped to get, are still missing.

Content

The book is preceded by a poem similar to a acrostic gives the name of one of his young friends Edith Rix, if one reads each of the second letter of each verse.

In the preface, Carroll writes about the intention of the work: "The writer's intention what to embody in each Knot ( like the medicine so dexterously, but ineffectually, concealed in the jam of our early childhood ) one or more mathematical questions - in Arithmetic, Algebra, or Geometry, as the case might also be -for the amusement, and possible edification, of the fair readers of magazine did " ( German: ". the intent of the author, it was each node (such as medicine, so cleverly, but ineffective in jam of our early childhood was hidden ) one or more mathematical questions - in arithmetic, Algebra or geometry, as it just showed - accompanied by the pleasure and edification of the reader of this magazine possible ").

The stories do not have a continuous plot, but take part relation to previous stories. There are three distinct groups of people who seem to stand first in any relationship, be united in the last story, however.

Reception

Carroll's nephew wrote about the book: " With some people this is the most popular of all his books; Certainly it is the most successful attempt he ever made to combine mathematics and humor " ( German: " For some people this is the most popular of his books, it is certainly the most successful attempt to combine mathematics and humor, which he has ever undertaken ". . ) Lewis Carroll can be seen in this work as a predecessor Samuel Loyd, whose books were popular a short time later with mathematical puzzles.

The tasks were repeatedly published, partly in common issues with the pillow problem, another quiz collection of Lewis Carroll.

Other authors of mathematical puzzles repeatedly reach back to the tasks and post them in a new form, such as Heinrich Hemme in his book Alice in Knobel country.