4 ms·

My favorite "mathematician game" is Sprouts: http://nrich.maths.org/2413 http://nrich.maths.org/2413 First heard about it in a column in Scientific American by

My favorite "mathematician game" is Sprouts: http://nrich.maths.org/2413 http://nrich.maths.org/2413 First heard about it in a column in Scientific American by A. K. Dewdney. The rules are simple and it is rather fun. In one of his columns he talked about playing a toroidal version where a line going off one edge of a rectangular page comes back in on the opposite side.

kernel_sanders 13y ago
My Dad, a physicist, taught me that game as a kid. I have great memories of him producing a pen at any restaurant we might have been at, and he and I passing any waiting time playing sprouts on napkins or paper scraps. I since play it with my kids.
- michaelfeathers 13y ago
  Did you ever learn about the variant called 'Brussels Sprouts' and the trick to winning?
  - coldpie 13y ago
    Please explain :)
    - michaelfeathers 13y ago
      If I remember correctly, instead of only allowing three edges to emanate from a vertex, you can have four. All other rules are the same. Apparently, in that set up, the the first player either always wins or loses depending upon whether the number of initial vertices is odd.
    - Someone 13y ago
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprouts_%28game%29#Brussels_Sprouts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprouts_%28game%29#Brussels_Spr...
willvarfar 13y ago
I particularly liked his Core War game too. Its still around, although admittedly quite low-key: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_War
- chinpokomon 13y ago
  I've committed countless hours to Core Wars and variations of the game. It is fantastic.
bumbledraven 13y ago
There's a World Game of Sprouts Association that organizes a yearly tournament by email. The same Russian dude always wins. http://www.wgosa.org/champions.htm http://www.wgosa.org/champions.htm
gojomo 13y ago
I remember another two-player pen-and-paper game I got from Scientific American long ago... I think it was called 'Loops'. • the board is first built by each player alternating in drawing an oval lightly (as with pencil) until 5 ovals are placed; each oval after the first must intersect another in at least one place, such as a tangent, but usually more • every intersection gets a dot to emphasize its role as a vertex; the oval segments between them are edges • after the board is built, one player starts by picking any vertex, and tracing (heavily or with a unique pen color) an edge from that point to a new vertex, and then to another vertex, and then to another (3 segments end-to-end per turn) • the next player starts from the vertex where the previous player ended; if for any of their 3 segments (including the 1st) there is no legal move, their turn ends and the other player has choice of vertex to begin their next move • if a player's move completes a loop, they capture it (adding their initials inside); first to capture 3 loops wins So for example, the 5-rings olympic logo is a legal board (though one which allows the 1st player to immediately capture a 2-segment oval on either end). Anyone else play this? Do I remember the name right?

kernel_sanders 13y ago

My Dad, a physicist, taught me that game as a kid. I have great memories of him producing a pen at any restaurant we might have been at, and he and I passing any waiting time playing sprouts on napkins or paper scraps. I since play it with my kids.

michaelfeathers 13y ago
Did you ever learn about the variant called 'Brussels Sprouts' and the trick to winning?
- coldpie 13y ago
  Please explain :)
  - michaelfeathers 13y ago
    If I remember correctly, instead of only allowing three edges to emanate from a vertex, you can have four. All other rules are the same. Apparently, in that set up, the the first player either always wins or loses depending upon whether the number of initial vertices is odd.
  - Someone 13y ago
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprouts_%28game%29#Brussels_Sprouts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprouts_%28game%29#Brussels_Spr...

willvarfar 13y ago

I particularly liked his Core War game too. Its still around, although admittedly quite low-key: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_War

chinpokomon 13y ago
I've committed countless hours to Core Wars and variations of the game. It is fantastic.

bumbledraven 13y ago

There's a World Game of Sprouts Association that organizes a yearly tournament by email. The same Russian dude always wins. http://www.wgosa.org/champions.htm http://www.wgosa.org/champions.htm

gojomo 13y ago

I remember another two-player pen-and-paper game I got from Scientific American long ago... I think it was called 'Loops'. • the board is first built by each player alternating in drawing an oval lightly (as with pencil) until 5 ovals are placed; each oval after the first must intersect another in at least one place, such as a tangent, but usually more • every intersection gets a dot to emphasize its role as a vertex; the oval segments between them are edges • after the board is built, one player starts by picking any vertex, and tracing (heavily or with a unique pen color) an edge from that point to a new vertex, and then to another vertex, and then to another (3 segments end-to-end per turn) • the next player starts from the vertex where the previous player ended; if for any of their 3 segments (including the 1st) there is no legal move, their turn ends and the other player has choice of vertex to begin their next move • if a player's move completes a loop, they capture it (adding their initials inside); first to capture 3 loops wins So for example, the 5-rings olympic logo is a legal board (though one which allows the 1st player to immediately capture a 2-segment oval on either end). Anyone else play this? Do I remember the name right?