Top Ten Gift Ideas for the Math Lover in Your Life

I always knew not everyone loved math, but I never understood it. As a female majoring in math, I quickly saw my college class sizes drop smaller as graduation loomed, and the number of my gender in those classes drop even further. However, almost everyone knows one math geek like me, and buying gifts for him or her can be difficult. With some suggestions from a fellow math geek, shopping for your math lover can be easier than ever.

Most math lovers love books, and what could be better than a classic book about the history of mathematics? Mathematics-From the Birth of Numbers by Jan Gullberg is a huge, hardback book, impressive just from its appearance, covered in a parchment-look cover. But it’s the inside that will keep your math lover happy for hours. This book is actually a history of the development of mathematics from number systems to modern calculus, with explanations even the most novice of math lovers can appreciate. So when someone asks, “Who made up this math stuff anyway,” you’ll have an answer. I own this book, I’ve given it to friends, and I’ve referred to it over and over again.

Sure math geeks love calculators, but how about the granddaddy of calculators for higher mathematics, the TI-92 by Texas Instruments. Solve equations in a snap and graph in 3D. Only your math geek will understand all the functions this calculator possesses, and will be smiling for days at discovering them. With a host of accessories and links available, buying this calculator will give you a head start on next year’s gift ideas.

Every math lover loves math puzzles and one of the best book I’ve found is The Moscow Puzzles- 359 Mathematical Recreations by Boris Kordemsky. This book was originally published in 1956 and is one of the most popular puzzle collections ever published. I received it as a gift, and loved it. It contains everything from tricky to difficult and in between. It’s a classic.

Sudoku has taken the world by storm lately. This number puzzle, originally developed by the Japanese in the eighteenth century, is so popular because anyone can learn the strategies with a little practice and patience. Your math lover already appreciates the beauty in number patterns, and will have hours of fun with an electronic version of this game. After reviewing several, I found the hand-held “Sudoku by Franklin Electronics” has the best graphic and is easy to read.

If your math lover is also a video gamer, a fun game for all ages and skill levels is “Zoombinis Island Odyssey” by The Learning Company. This game teaches mathematical logic to help the Zoombini creatures complete their quest. It is as fun as a puzzle with the extra boost of graphics and music. When I tutored math, I bought this to use with students but ended up playing it as much as they did. Fun game. Enough said. The Learning Company did right with this one.

The Smath Game is a fun game much like crosswords, only you use numbers and symbols to make mathematical equations. Recommended for ages 6-99, it is appropriate for many different skill levels. It is a fun game for the whole family to play together and learn while having fun. The Smath Game is a board game with that learning edge.

If your math lover needs a good reference book, The 31st Edition of the CRC Standard Mathematical Tables and Formulae is, without a doubt, “the new and improved bible of mathematics,” according to It is an outstanding reference book, containing more than 30 new sections, covering more than 3,000 items, and including tables, properties, etc. The index has been revamped to make it faster and easier to find results. John Vacca, the computer security official from Nasa’s Freedom Space Station. This CRC Manual is an excellent desk reference for the mathematician or engineer in your life. My calculus teacher in college suggested this for each of us to add to our Christmas lists.

All hard-working math geeks need a break now and then from writing notebooks full of equations. What about relaxing with a good magazine? Mental Floss is an excellent choice. One of Amazon’s top ten sellers in magazines, Mental Floss is a must-have for info junkies of all ages. Everyone feels even smarter just from reading this magazine. You will be amazed at what you learn and what you don’t know.

Every math lover needs an office that inspires greatness. To decorate the walls in this think tank, look no further than the fractal designs by Vicky Brago-Mitchell, especially the design called “Anniversary.” Fractal photography at its best is Brago-Mitchell’s trademark, along with a fascinating use of color.

Doing math requires the ability to become lost in one’s head. That can be difficult to do in some noisy environments, especially when co-workers or dorm mates want to chatter away in the middle of a math proof. However, this can be handled tactfully if you have the new Bose Quiet Comfort III Headphones. Not only do they block out what you don’t want to hear, but also they make listening to what you do want to hear a real pleasure. If your math lover has trouble concentrating in busy situations, buy him or her some Quiet Comfort headphones. They are lightweight, comfortable, and do what they are supposed to do.

If all else fails when shopping for your favorite math geek, remember that mathematicians appreciate the value of good hard cash, so you can always slip a few bills in a card and be a big hit with your math lover.