Loyd

Samuel Loyd

Born: 31 Jan 1841 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , USA
Died: 10 April 1911 in New York, USA

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Always known as Sam, Loyd was the creator of famous mathematical puzzles and recreations. He studied engineering and intended to become a steam and mechanical engineer but he soon made his living from his puzzles and chess problems. From 1860 he was problem editor of the magazine Chess Monthly and, in 1878, he published a book of problems, Chess Strategy .

Loyd's most famous puzzle was the 15 Puzzle which he produced in 1878. The craze swept America where employers put up notices prohibiting playing the puzzle during office hours. In Germany it was played by Deputies in the Reichstag while in France it was described as a greater scourge than alcohol or tobacco. Loyd produced over 10 000 puzzles in his lifetime many involving sophisticated mathematical ideas.

References elsewhere in this archive:

Tell me about Loyd's work on mathematical games and recreations

References:

  1. Biography in Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. M Gardner, Mathematical Puzzles of Sam Loyd. Selected and Edited by Martin Gardner (New York, 1959). 
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JOC/EFR February 1996