In what would be his centennial year, Martin Gardner, the longtime author of Scientific American's celebrated Mathematical Games column, continues to inspire mathematicians and puzzle lovers
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Like a good magic trick, a clever puzzle can inspire awe, reveal mathematical truths and prompt important questions. At least that is what Martin Gardner thought. His name is synonymous with the legendary Mathematical Games column he wrote for a quarter of a century in . Thanks to his own mathemagical skills, Gardner, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in October, presented noteworthy mathematics every month with all the wonder of legerdemain and, in so doing, captivated a huge readership worldwide. Many people—obscure, famous and in between—have cited Mathematical Games as informing their decisions to pursue mathematics or a related field professionally.
Gardner was a modest man. He never sought out awards and did not aspire to fame. Even so, his written legacy of 100-odd books—reflecting an impressive breadth of knowledge that bridged the sciences and humanities—attracted the attention and respect of many public figures. Pulitzer Prize–winning cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter described him as “one of the greatest intellects produced in this country in this century.” Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould remarked that Gardner was “the single brightest beacon defending rationality and good science against the mysticism and anti-intellectualism that surrounds us.” And linguist Noam Chomsky described his contribution to contemporary intellectual culture as “unique—in its range, its insight, and its understanding of hard questions that matter.”
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