Person: Dudeney, Henry Ernest
Henry Dudeney is best known for his publications of mathematical problems and pastimes, some of which provoked serious mathematical research.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Henry learnt to play chess at a young age and soon became interested in chess problems.
- Dudeney worked as a clerk in the Civil Service from the age of 13 but continued to study mathematics and chess.
- Sam Loyd started sending his puzzles to England in 1893 and a correspondence started between him and Dudeney.
- Of the two puzzle experts it was Dudeney who showed the more subtle mathematical skills.
- We have indicated that Dudeney had a mathematical talent and this is very clear looking at some of his famous puzzles.
- The Royal Society was interested in this geometrical novelty and in 1905 Dudeney demonstrated his geometrical puzzle at a meeting of the Society.
- Dudeney contributed to the Strand Magazine for over 30 years, beginning after his collaboration with Loyd ended, and from around the same time he began publishing in Blighty, Cassell's, The Queen, Tit-Bits, and the Weekly Dispatch.
- Dudeney's very popular collections of mathematical puzzles The Canterbury Puzzles (1907), Amusements in Mathematics (1917), and Modern Puzzles published in 1926, contain a wealth of fascinating examples which would provide any teacher of mathematics with a treasure trove of material.
- Since we are looking at the more mathematical aspects of Dudeney's work, the chapter headings of Amusements in Mathematics will prove interesting.
- Like Loyd, Dudeney produced many non-standard chess problems such as one where the White pieces are in their initial position, while Black only has a King which is on its own initial square.
- Let us now look at a few more examples of Dudeney's puzzles.
- Dudeney invented something he called Verbal Arithmetic.
Born 10 April 1857, Mayfield, Sussex, England. Died 24 April 1930, Lewes, Sussex, England.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Origin England, Puzzles And Problems
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
- Github:
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- non-Github:
- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
