SKU: 8803066326

Four Colors Suffice: How the Map Problem Was Solved - Revised Color Edition

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Four Colors Suffice: How the Map Problem Was Solved - Revised Color EditionOn October 23, 1852, Professor Augustus De Morgan wrote a letter to a colleague, unaware that he was launching one of the most famous mathematical conundrums in history one that would confound thousands of puzzlers for more than a century. This is the amazing story of how the map problem was solved. The problem posed in the letter came from a former student: What is the least possible number of colors needed to fill in any map (real or invented) so

On October 23, 1852, Professor Augustus De Morgan wrote a letter to a colleague, unaware that he was launching one of the most famous mathematical conundrums in history--one that would confound thousands of puzzlers for more than a century. This is the amazing story of how the map problem was solved.

The problem posed in the letter came from a former student: What is the least possible number of colors needed to fill in any map (real or invented) so that neighboring counties are always colored differently? This deceptively simple question was of minimal interest to cartographers, who saw little need to limit how many colors they used. But the problem set off a frenzy among professional mathematicians and amateur problem solvers, among them Lewis Carroll, an astronomer, a botanist, an obsessive golfer, the Bishop of London, a man who set his watch only once a year, a California traffic cop, and a bridegroom who spent his honeymoon coloring maps. In their pursuit of the solution, mathematicians painted maps on doughnuts and horseshoes and played with patterned soccer balls and the great rhombicuboctahedron.

It would be more than one hundred years (and countless colored maps) later before the result was finally established. Even then, difficult questions remained, and the intricate solution--which involved no fewer than 1,200 hours of computer time--was greeted with as much dismay as enthusiasm.

Providing a clear and elegant explanation of the problem and the proof, Robin Wilson tells how a seemingly innocuous question baffled great minds and stimulated exciting mathematics with far-flung applications. This is the entertaining story of those who failed to prove, and those who ultimately did prove, that four colors do indeed suffice to color any map.

This new edition features many color illustrations. It also includes a new foreword by Ian Stewart on the importance of the map problem and how it was solved.-- "Booklist"

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 11/10/2013
ISBN: 9780691158228
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.33h x 6.13w x 0.47d
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SKU: 8803066326

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Kaylin
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 1
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Color: Black
Product was terrible, it was not sturdy at all
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2026
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coffeeandcode
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 4
Awesome, portable room divider for larger rooms
Color: Black, Color: Black
I chose this room divider to use in my son's room that also serves as my home office! It is 72" x 72" in size, so it truly blocks out the other side of the room for optimal privacy. Once it's assembled, it's mildly sturdy - as long as you can bet both ends with the "feet" in line with the ground. I wish that the framework poles had more of an interlocking system so that the divider was easier to erect. I assembled this on carpet, so I had some issues getting the divider to stop moving. It takes a lot of work to set up, as it is massive, so definitely have someone help you. I would suggest adding weights of some sort to the feet of this divider to keep it from shifting. I ended up leaning mine against a bookcase shelf so it wouldn't lean. All and all, this is a great product if you are looking to make a room multipurpose.
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John Grey
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
As described
Color: Black
Light weight, easy to put together and you can disconnect the ends and just roll the whole thing nice and tight for quick out of the way storage. Pretty sturdy, doesn't fall over if you bump into it, you could use it outside but if there's a lot of light you can see through a tiny bit if you're really close but I only tested this indoors so not sure about patio types
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Amyth4
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 2
Flimsy - choose something else
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Very flimsy and barely stands up… better options out there.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2025

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