Recreational Mathematics

Recreational mathematics is mathematics that is done for recreation or as a hobby and is fun. Typically it involves games or puzzles that relate to mathematics, although the term can cover other things. In general, recreational mathematics involves general logical and lateral thinking skills and does not involve advanced mathematical concepts most of the time, such that the average person is at least able to understand and appreciate a recreational problem and its solution. Recreational puzzles can also increase people's appreciation of mathematics as a whole.

Recreational mathematics can be surprisingly popular, with millions of people at one time or another having enjoyed diversions such as Rubik's Cube, fractals, Sudoku, and many others. Other mathematical recreations include mathematical puzzles, mathematical chess puzzles, Conway's Game of Life, tangrams, and many others.

However, it should not be assumed that recreational mathematics is without any practical use. Recreational mathematics has spurred the development of several fields of mathematics; to take one example, the problem of the Königsberg Bridges influenced the development of the field of graph theory.