Special Collections has acquired an early edition of Claude-Gaspard Bachet's Problemes Plaisans et Delectables from 1624. This book is one of the great rarities in mathematics; it is "the first noteworthy collection of recreative problems to appear in print...it was a pioneer and is much better than some of those that went through many more editions" - (Smith, History of Mathematics, II, p. 535). The first edition appeared in 1612.
Bachet (1581-1638), was a "mathematician, philosopher, theologian, poet, and one of the ablest writers of his day...His work on mathematical recreations was the best of all that appeared in the 17th century and is still looked upon as a classic in that field, both in style and in content." - (Smith, I, pp.379-80). Bachet also made notable contributions to the theory of numbers.
1624 Edition:

1874 Edition:
