Machines have profoundly influenced the content, distribution, and presentation of mathematical recreations from at least the nineteenth century. At that time, changes in manufacturing processes, combined with improvements in transportation, made it possible for merchants to stock and sell a wide range of consumer goods, including games and toys. Increases in the income of many people, combined with greater leisure and the rise of separate goods for children fostered this movement. Wider availability of newspapers and advertising encouraged the diffusion of recreations across national and international lines.

By the early twentieth century, mechanisms were embedded in recreational instruments for drawing curves. A toy called the Wondergraph, invented in the United States and patented in Europe as well, automated this process and made it easier to replicate results. The adaptation of mathematical drawing instruments for recreational use would continue for much of the century, intriguing both the general public and a handful of mathematicians.

Attempts to create game-playing automata date to the eighteenth century. With the advent of the electronic computer, these efforts took on renewed vigor. Computers were programmed to recommend moves in traditional games including tick tack toe, checkers and particularly chess. By the end of the century, such games were embedded in carnival attractions, in software for home users, and in special purpose computers such as IBM’s Deep Blue. Computing devices also generated entertainments, ranging from simple arithmetic problems for young children (as in the Little Professor and the Flashmaster) to logical puzzles for adults (as in Sudoku).

The interplay between mathematical recreations and machines depended on changes in both mathematics and machines. Exploring this story reveals interconnections between historical ideas, technological novelties, and mathematical communities. As an entryway to this international story, it is useful to focus on changes in one country, the United States. Existing historical accounts, museum collections, and trade literature all offer important insights.