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Hex: A Playful Introduction
 
Ryan B. Hayward :  University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Front Cover for Hex
MAA Press: An Imprint of the American Mathematical Society
SoftcoverISBN:  978-1-4704-6492-9
Product Code:  NML/54
List Price: $35.00
MAA Member Price: $26.25
AMS Member Price: $26.25
Sale Price: $21.00
eBookISBN:  978-1-4704-6948-1
Product Code:  NML/54.E
List Price: $35.00
MAA Member Price: $26.25
AMS Member Price: $26.25
Sale Price: $21.00
SoftcoverISBN:  978-1-4704-6492-9
eBookISBN:  978-1-4704-6948-1
Product Code:  NML/54.B
List Price: $70.00$52.50
MAA Member Price: $52.50$39.38
AMS Member Price: $52.50$39.38
Sale Price: $42.00$31.50
Add to cart
Front Cover for Hex
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  • Front Cover for Hex
  • Back Cover for Hex
Hex: A Playful Introduction
Ryan B. Hayward :  University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
MAA Press: An Imprint of the American Mathematical Society
Softcover ISBN:  978-1-4704-6492-9
Product Code:  NML/54
List Price: $35.00
MAA Member Price: $26.25
AMS Member Price: $26.25
Sale Price: $21.00
eBook ISBN:  978-1-4704-6948-1
Product Code:  NML/54.E
List Price: $35.00
MAA Member Price: $26.25
AMS Member Price: $26.25
Sale Price: $21.00
Softcover ISBN:  978-1-4704-6492-9
eBookISBN:  978-1-4704-6948-1
Product Code:  NML/54.B
List Price: $70.00$52.50
MAA Member Price: $52.50$39.38
AMS Member Price: $52.50$39.38
Sale Price: $42.00$31.50
Add to cart
  • Book Details
     
     
    Anneli Lax New Mathematical Library
    Volume: 54; 2022; 124 pp
    MSC: Primary 00; 91;

    This book offers a gentle introduction to Hex, the classic board game created by Piet Hein and popularized by John Nash and Martin Gardner. The first three chapters cover rules, basic strategy, and history. The remaining eight chapters cover a variety of topics: mathematical properties (there are no draws, the first player can win, the acute corner is a losing first move), the related game of Y, winning strategies for small boards, how computers play Hex, and analysis of Random-Move Hex (where one or both players move randomly) and Dark Hex (the imperfect information version of the game, where you can't see your opponent's moves).

    Did we mention puzzles? There are puzzles in every chapter, with solutions.

    This book is intended for anyone interested in playing board games or learning some recreational mathematics. It is written for a wide audience and will be enjoyed equally by general readers and professional mathematicians. The book could be used as a textbook or companion resource for a topics course on recreational mathematics or game theory or as a source for undergraduate research questions.
    Readership

    Undergraduate students interested in the game of Hex.
  • Table of Contents
     
     
    • Chapters
    • This is Hex
    • Basics
    • How Hex began
    • First player wins
    • Don’t go there
    • Back to Y
    • Winning strategies
    • Computers
    • Uniform random Hex
    • Dark Hex
    • Larger boards
    • Further reading
  • Additional Material
     
     
  • Reviews
     
     

    • The book is written so that the non-specialist can readily read, understand, and work the puzzles. However, the expert Hex player and skilled mathematician will also enjoy many of the pearls of wisdom included in this text. ...I would recommend this book as a supplement to courses covering topics such as Game Theory or Recreational Mathematics. I also recommend this book for those in a Chess Club, Math Club, and any group studying winning and losing tactics.
      Tom French, University of Denver

    • This short and 'playful' book is about the two-player game Hex. The book discusses a short history of the game, which was discovered by Piet Hein, and several of its mathematical properties (such as, there are no draws in the game, and the first player can win). It also discusses some related games as well as strategies for small boards. The most exciting feature of the book is the end-of-chapter puzzles (and several in the chapters themselves) which should keep anyone interested in Hex (or games in general) occupied for several hours. The book is well-written and can be read by any sufficiently motivated person interested in the game.
      Manjil Pratim Saikia, Cardiff University
  • Requests
     
     
    Review Copy – for reviewers who would like to review an AMS book
    Accessibility – to request an alternate format of an AMS title
Anneli Lax New Mathematical Library
Volume: 54; 2022; 124 pp
MSC: Primary 00; 91;

This book offers a gentle introduction to Hex, the classic board game created by Piet Hein and popularized by John Nash and Martin Gardner. The first three chapters cover rules, basic strategy, and history. The remaining eight chapters cover a variety of topics: mathematical properties (there are no draws, the first player can win, the acute corner is a losing first move), the related game of Y, winning strategies for small boards, how computers play Hex, and analysis of Random-Move Hex (where one or both players move randomly) and Dark Hex (the imperfect information version of the game, where you can't see your opponent's moves).

Did we mention puzzles? There are puzzles in every chapter, with solutions.

This book is intended for anyone interested in playing board games or learning some recreational mathematics. It is written for a wide audience and will be enjoyed equally by general readers and professional mathematicians. The book could be used as a textbook or companion resource for a topics course on recreational mathematics or game theory or as a source for undergraduate research questions.
Readership

Undergraduate students interested in the game of Hex.
  • Chapters
  • This is Hex
  • Basics
  • How Hex began
  • First player wins
  • Don’t go there
  • Back to Y
  • Winning strategies
  • Computers
  • Uniform random Hex
  • Dark Hex
  • Larger boards
  • Further reading

  • The book is written so that the non-specialist can readily read, understand, and work the puzzles. However, the expert Hex player and skilled mathematician will also enjoy many of the pearls of wisdom included in this text. ...I would recommend this book as a supplement to courses covering topics such as Game Theory or Recreational Mathematics. I also recommend this book for those in a Chess Club, Math Club, and any group studying winning and losing tactics.
    Tom French, University of Denver

  • This short and 'playful' book is about the two-player game Hex. The book discusses a short history of the game, which was discovered by Piet Hein, and several of its mathematical properties (such as, there are no draws in the game, and the first player can win). It also discusses some related games as well as strategies for small boards. The most exciting feature of the book is the end-of-chapter puzzles (and several in the chapters themselves) which should keep anyone interested in Hex (or games in general) occupied for several hours. The book is well-written and can be read by any sufficiently motivated person interested in the game.
    Manjil Pratim Saikia, Cardiff University
Review Copy – for reviewers who would like to review an AMS book
Accessibility – to request an alternate format of an AMS title
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