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9/29
10/1
-9
-10
30 SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 1972
274TH DAY - 92 DAYS TO COME

Rcd. [received] a letter from Earl Perel. He wonders if I have called about the insurance GAME yet - and wants me to return the card.

Took 3 copies of AGOG (2 for Graeme to use with pub- lishers and one for Don Turnbull), a copy of THE NEXT PRESIDENT, and wrote a short letter to Don mentioning SLEUTH, MONAD, VENTURE, ALBION, SQUARRUMS, and SPACE SHOOTERS. Met Graeme Levin at 242nd St., gave him the material, and drove to Martin Gardner.

I looked at GAMES PLAYING WITH COMPUTERS ^by A.G. Bell (London - George Allen & Unwin Ltd. - 1972). Among a lot of other games analysed there were - GUESS IT (analysed by R. Isaacs). This is completely explained in Martin's column of 12/67.

GRUNDY'S GAME. Pule of objects. Two players in turn divide a pile into two unequal sections, constantly making more piles. Last to divide a pile wins. Dr "misere" - player unable to divide wins.

I looked at MATHEMATICAL SNAPSHOTS by H. Steinhaus (Oxford Uni- versity Press - New York - 1969 - - $7.50). Just glanced at it since Matin mentioned it as a basic book on Recreational math together with Craitchik's MATHEMATICAL RECREATIONS and Ball's MATHEMATICAL RECREATIONS AND ESSAYS.

Matin said that the two Dover books of Dudeney's puzzles - AMUSEMENT IN MATHEMATICS (which I have) and THE CANTERBURY PUZZLES (which I don't) plus 536 PUZZLES & CURIOUS PROBLEMS covers every- thing that Dudeney did.

Topological proof that LOONY LOOPS is solvable. [drawing of a horizontal line with figure 8 at each end and a C in the middle] four loops shrunk - 2 at each end.

Looked at the material on FOCUS from Martin Gardener's MARTIN GARDNER'S SIXTH BOOK OF MATHEMATICAL GAMES FROM SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN (of the previous 5 one is on Dr. Matrix). The book should be coming out in paperback next year.

Conway looked thru all Martin's games from readers. The one that excited him was one by Jim Bynum, [address] (The name sounded familiar.)

The GAME is played with a number of objects set up in an n x n array (tho I think n x m could be used). One player takes from the rows, the other from the columns. Player can choose which row on column they wish but must take all in it. However if there is a break the row or col- umn does not go thru it. Don't remember, but probably can be player with player taking last winning, or with a "misere." [drawing of 4 x 4 circles with numbers in them. Row 1: 8, 2, 4, 5. Row 2: 3, 2, 4, 9. Row 3: 1, 1, 1, 1. Row 4: 6, 7, 7, 7.] In sample the player making the odd moves takes from rows, the making the even moves takes from column.

In answer to Graeme's request Martin said that he is pro- (cont. on 9/29)