With that mapping in place, the droplet was able to identify further handwritten digits. The droplets then faced off against an ideal, standard computer in games of tic-tac-toe.

Below, du Sautoy shares five key insights from his new book, Around the World in Eighty Games: From Tarot to Tic-Tac-Toe, Catan to Chutes and Ladders, a Mathematician Unlocks the Secrets of the ...