In "The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix", Martin Gardner introduces us to this extraordinary man, Dr. Irving Joshua Matrix. Believed by many to be the greatest numerologist who ever lived, Dr. Matrix claims to be a reincarnation of Pythagoras. He was, however, completely unknown to the scientific community until Gardner wrote about him in "Scientific American" in 1960.That first report and the subsequent ones that appeared with each new encounter are collected here in their entirety. We follow Dr. Matrix as he roams the world and assumes new identities and discovers new manifestations of the power of numbers to explain and predict and entertain. Always at his side is his beautiful Eurasian daughter, Iva, who abets and protects her father in each new adventure. As you delve into "The Magic Numbers of Dr Matrix", you will master some significant combinatorial mathematics and number theory. The many remarkable puzzles of Dr. Matrix are all clearly answered in the back of the book, together with commentary and references by Gardner to enlighten the uninitiated and entertain the inquiring reader.

馬丁·加德納（Martin Gardner，1914年10月21日—2010年05月22日），美國數學傢和著名的數學科普作傢。1936年畢業於芝加哥大學，學的專業是哲學。畢業後先當《民友報》記者，後來在芝加哥大學公眾關係部工作。第二次世界大戰爆發後，他在美國海軍中擔任隨軍記者，曾到過印度、菲律賓、東南亞、土耳其與中、近東許多國傢和地區，見聞甚廣。戰後，他開始瞭自由撰稿人的生涯。據不完全統計，已寫瞭五十本以上的書。曾多次獲得過重奬。他的肖像曾在《生活》雜誌及《新利周報》上刊登過。