Mathematics in Magic - "Dissecting Methods"
Tricks, tutorials, and essays from Steven Goodwin
Over the last 10 years, mathematics and technology are two areas that magicians have been more
willing to embrace. So, it is with that in mind, I thought that if people are less scared of the maths
involved in some magic, it would be a good time to formally expand and re-release these notes
which explain effects that use mathematics and - more importantly - how and why the maths work.
By understanding the mechanics behind these effects you can easily adapt and expand the trick in
new and interesting ways that would be impossible otherwise. You can also prove that the trick will
work in every case through simple mathematics and reasoning, without having to test every single
possibility to spot the cases where they don't work.
Pages: 52
Effects: 11
Essays: 5
Praise for "Dissecting Methods"
"Mathematics in Magic is an excellent book filled with clever applications of mathematical
principles which have been expertly disguised and turned into 'magical gems'. You will love Steven
Goodwin's take on the Gilbreath Principle, pick a number effects, the forcing matrix and the magic
square, to name but a few. Maths can be a wonderful, sneaky and devious vehicle for magic, as this
book proves!"
- Chris Wardle, author of 'Quirky Forces' and 'Self-Working Wonders'.
"As someone who doesn't typically do mathematical magic, the greatest praise I can offer is that I
understood it."
- Amazing Stace