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This column explores mathematical card principles and effects for fun, very much inspired by the extensive writings of Martin Gardner (1914-2010) on the subject, going back to his seminal Mathematics, Magic and Mystery (1956).





Colm has been exploring mathematical card tricks in earnest since 1999. For more on this topic, including a guide to material explored in previous Card Colms, see Colm's Cards. Much of the material can also be found in updated form in the bookMathematical Card Magic: Fifty-Two New Effects (AK Peters/CRC Press, 380 pages, Aug 2013).





Colm hails from Ireland, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Mathematical Science at UCD. He then went to Cornell — more or less along arcs of two great circles — where he did research in the algebraic theory of quadratic forms for his PhD, under Alex FTW Rosenberg . He is Professor of Mathematics at Spelman College, where he has taught since 1988, and in visiting The American University in Washington, DC, for the academic year 2013--2014. Music and food are among his passions.



