Mathematics of Tabletop Games

Mathematics of Tabletop Games provides a bridge between mathematics and hobby tabletop gaming. Instead of focusing on games mathematicians play, such as nim and chomp, this book starts with the tabletop games played by avid gamers and hopes to address the question: which field of mathematics concerns itself with this situation?

Readers interested in either mathematics or tabletop games will find this book an engaging way to begin exploring the other topic or the connection between the topics.

Features

• Presents an entry-level exposition of interesting mathematical concepts that are not commonly taught outside of upper-level mathematics courses
• Acts as a resource for mathematics instructors who wish to provide new examples of standard mathematical concepts
• Features material that may help game designers and developers make design decisions about game mechanisms
• Provides working Python code that can be used to solve common questions about games
• Covers a broad range of mathematical topics that could be used as survey material for undergraduates curious about mathematics.

Aaron Montgomery received his B.A. in Mathematics from Pomona College and his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently employed by Central Washington University, where he teaches in the Mathematics Department and the Douglas Honors College. He has taught various traditional courses in mathematics, mathematics education, and computer programming. He has also taught special topics courses such as Games and Politics and The Mathematics of Recreational Boardgames. He is an omnigamer whose favorites include Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Undaunted: Stalingrad, Mage Knight, and the Soulsborne video games from FromSoftware.