Cards and Combinatorics
Year: 2019 Code: SC-235 Instructor: Manish Jain (and team)
Overview
A fun and engaging course that explores combinatorial mathematics through the lens of card tricks and magic. Students learn mathematical concepts while developing skills in card manipulation.
Topics Covered
- Introduction to Card Magic
- Permutations and Combinations
- The Gilbreath Principle
- Perfect Shuffles and Group Theory
- Information Theory in Magic
- Self-Working Card Tricks
What You’ll Learn
- Mathematical principles behind card tricks
- Basic card handling techniques
- How to design your own mathematical card tricks
- Connections between magic and computer science
Prerequisites
- Curiosity about mathematics
- A standard deck of playing cards
- Willingness to practice!