ERNEST IRVING FREESES GEOMETRIC TRANSFORMATIONS

A geometric dissection is a cutting of a geometric figure such as a regular polygon or a star or a cross into pieces that we can rearrange to form another geometric figure The best dissections are beautiful and possess economy few pieces symmetry or hingeability They are often challenging to discoverErnest Irving Freese was an architect who lived and worked in Los Angeles until his death in 1957 Shortly before he passed away he completed a 200page manuscript on geometric dissection the first booklength treatment on that subject Freese included elegant drawings of dissections that were both original and clever After his death the manuscript lay forgotten in his former house until Greg Frederickson set in motion its recovery in 2003 What a treat that it was rescuedFrederickson39s book sketches a history of geometric dissections and a biography of Freese followed by a refurbished copy of Freese39s manuscript interleaved with a commentary that highlights Freese39s major contributions as well as singular improvements made by Frederickson and others after FreeseThis book introduces Freese and his creations to math puzzle enthusiasts by way of his engaging manuscript his wild adventures and his lovely dissections Frederickson also includes remarkable designs that improve on Freese39s work and packs this book with nifty illustrations and tidbits that may well leave you speechless