Description Gifted Math Fairy Tales 1 - The Adventure of Zero No one knows for certain who invented the number zero, or exactly when. Yet the invention of zero has had a tremendous impact on human history. What would have happened if zero had never been invented? We would have had to use very inconvenient and complicated methods to represent large numbers using only the digits 1 through 9, and calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square roots would have been difficult or even impossible. Even the convenient computer would never have been invented. The idea of using zero so that a number moves up a place value every time it reaches ten is truly a remarkable invention. This book, The Adventure of Zero, captures the concept and meaning of zero in a way children can easily understand. First, it helps children grasp the idea that zero means 'nothing,' by portraying zero as living alone. Then, step by step, the story explores what happens when zero is used in addition, and what happens when it is used in multiplication. Through this story, children naturally come to understand the role zero plays in calculations. Furthermore, they come to understand zero's meaning as a number - that after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, zero is used to represent the larger number 10, along with the concept of place value in the tens place. Rather than simply memorizing that '9 is followed by 10,' children absorb the concept of the number zero (0) naturally, like water soaking into paper, through the story of zero's adventure to find its rightful place. Gifted Math Fairy Tales 2 - Pythagoras's Discovery Pythagoras was a real historical figure, a famous Greek philosopher and mathematician. As a mathematician in particular, Pythagoras made a lasting mark on the history of mathematics through his research into numbers, based on the belief that 'all things are numbers.' Among his many achievements, perhaps none is more significant than the principle known as the Pythagorean Theorem. This theorem - stating that for a right triangle with sides a, b, and c, where the angle opposite c is a right angle, a² + b² = c² - is believed to have first been discovered by the ancient Babylonians, but Pythagoras was the first to prove it as a formal law. This theorem is an essential and fundamental mathematical concept that shines not only in mathematics but throughout our everyday lives. Pythagoras's Discovery tells the story behind a² + b² = c², the Pythagorean Theorem, in narrative form. The story's main character is a mischievous young Pythagoras, a setting that helps children feel a sense of familiarity with the mathematician. In the story, Pythagoras experiments with a knotted rope and tiles, trying different approaches and going through trial and error as he works to understand right triangles. At last, after much thought, he discovers the law of the right triangle. This storytelling approach encourages learning in a way that differs from simply memorizing the formula 'a² + b² = c².' Through this indirect experience, children step into the shoes of mischievous young Pythagoras and come to understand and accept the underlying principle of the formula in a meaningful way.