Math or Magic?

Mathematics, the science of numbers, quantities and shapes, is commonly represented as a set of exact rules, formulas and theorems. Math concepts are often hard to understand but they are always based on strong mathematical proofs and justifications. However, even in the accurate world of digits there is always room for astonishing and mysterious facts. There are some math occurrences that look like a magic. Of course, there are mathematical arguments behind each of these riddles but nothing is more magnetic for a vivid human mind than a hint of mystery. Let’s exercise our brains with some of these mystic math puzzles.

There is an interesting observation regarding the letter “A”, which is one of the most frequently used letters in the English language. However, this letter very rarely occurs in the names of numbers. From number 0 to 1,000, “A” only appears in 1,000 (one thousand). Isn’t that a mystique?

Many numbers have magical features. The number 9 is a shining example. If you multiply any number by 9 and then sum up all the individual digits to get a single digit, the sum of all these individual digits will always be 9. There are many other mysterious facts about numbers and sequences of numbers. For instance, 12+3-4+5+67+8+9=100 and there are at least one more expression consisting of nine digits in the right order with math operations between them which results in 100. The result of addition of all numbers from 1 to 100 (1+2+3+4+5+…+100) is also quite surprising, the total is 5,050.

One more form of math magic is the math tricks which allow us to simplify the mathematical operations. For example, there is a fast way to check divisibility of any number by 3. A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of its digits is divisible by 3. Similar smart techniques exist for almost each type of math operations.

Mathematical algorithms and thorough calculations are needed to succeed in such venturous activity as the games of chance. However, there is also a great impact on pure chance. So the gamblers are very anxious about various omens and signs. No wonder the gambling attributes are full of mysterious math-related coincidences. Probably that is why the opposite faces of a standard six-sided dice always add up to 7. Due to its abundant sacral background, the number 7 is often considered the lucky winning number. On the contrary, roulette carries a gloomy numerological symbolism. The sum of all the numbers on the roulette wheel is equal to the “Number of the Beast” – 666. The mystic meaning of this fact is supported with legends about people who bargained with the devil to catch the secrets of roulette.

Science conferred a magic power on the human and enabled us to build the modern world full of high-tech miracles. Mathematics is the queen of sciences and the key to understanding many scientific concepts. There are many small tips and tricks which like the magic spells help to cut the corners on the way to conquering this complicated branch of knowledge. May this force be with you, young student!