Philosophy of mathematics Books

Book SynopsisExamines how advances in philosophy were led by scientific discoveries - the more humankind understood about the physical world, the more curious we became. Drawing on work by Descartes, Galileo, Hume, Kant, Leibniz, and Newton, this book helps readers understand science through the lens of philosophy.Trade Review"The translation has long been out of print, so this recent publication, with a very fine introduction by Frank Wilczek, is to be highly valued... Weyl's Philosophy of Mathematics and Natural Science should be on every mathematician's or physicist's bookshelf... What a pleasure, what a privilege, to read and contemplate Hermann Weyl's monumental achievements."--Jeremy Butterfield, Physics Today "[W]e remain ever grateful that Hermann Weyl, compromising his conscience to the extent that he did, left behind this unrivaled treasure of insights into the murkiest epistemological depths of mathematics and theoretical physics."--Thomas Ryckman, Metascience

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Book SynopsisTo many outsiders, mathematicians appear to think like computers, grimly grinding away with a strict formal logic and moving methodically - even algorithmically - from one black-and-white deduction to another. This book reveals that mathematics is a profoundly creative activity and not just a body of formalized rules and results.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2007 Best Sci-Tech Books in Mathematics, Library Journal One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2007 "Ambitious, accessible and provocative...[In] How Mathematicians Think, William Byers argues that the core ingredients of mathematics are not numbers, structure, patterns or proofs, but ideas...Byers' view springs from the various facets of his career as a researcher and administrator (and, he says, his interest in Zen Buddhism). But it is his experience as a teacher that gives the book some of its extraordinary salience and authority...Good mathematics teaching should not banish ambiguity, but enable students to master it...Everyone should read Byers...His lively and important book establishes a framework and vocabulary to discuss doing, learning, and teaching mathematics, and why it matters."--Donal O'Shea, Nature "From Byers's book, if you work at it, you will learn some mathematics and, more important, you may begin to see how mathematicians think."--Peter Cameron, Times Higher Education Supplement "As William Byers points out in this courageous book, mathematics today is obsessed with rigor, and this actually suppresses creativity... Perfectly formalized ideas are dead, while ambiguous, paradoxical ideas are pregnant with possibilities and lead us in new directions: they guide us to new viewpoints, new truths... Bravo, Professor Byers, and my compliments to Princeton University Press for publishing this book."--Gregory Chaitin, New Scientist "Many people assume that mathematicians' thinking processes are strictly methodical and algorithmic. Integrating his experience as a mathematician and as a Buddhist, Byers examines the validity of this assumption. Much of mathematical thought is based on intuition and is in fact outside the realm of black-and-white logic, he asserts. Byers introduces and defines terms such as mathematical ambiguity, contradiction, and paradox and demonstrates how creative ideas emerge out of them. He gives as examples some of the seminal ideas that arose in this manner, such as the resolution of the most famous mathematical problem of all time, the Fermat conjecture. Next, he takes a philosophical look at mathematics, pondering the ambiguity that he believes lies at its heart. Finally, he asks whether the computer accurately models how math is performed. The author provides a concept-laden look at the human face of mathematics."--Science News "This book is a radically new account of mathematical discourse and mathematical thinking...What Byers's book reveals is that ambiguity is always present...You can't quite say that nobody has said this before. But nobody has said it before in this all-encompassing, coherent way, and in this readable, crystal clear style...This book strikes me as profound, unpretentious, and courageous."--Reuben Hersh, Notices of the AMS "This is a truly exceptional work. In an almost gripping tour de force, Byers examines the creative impulse of mathematics, which to him is the notion of ambiguity, understood to 'involve a single idea that is perceived in two self-consistent but mutually incompatible frames of reference'...[I]t is a sorely needed complement to often-formulaic textbooks... An incredible book."--J. Mayer, Choice "William Byers...has written a passionate defense of the uniquely human aspect of mathematics...Byers [demonstrates] that the insights of mathematicians come about through a discipline that...has something in common with Zen practice. First, there is a positive use of difficulty: 'the paradox has the enormous value of highlighting a fertile area of thought.' Then the breakthrough: 'An idea emerges in response to the tension that results from the conflict inherent in ambiguity.' These sentences from Byers's book apply equally to scientific and spiritual work."--Eliot Fintushel, Tricycle "After a lifetime of research and teaching, [Byers argues] that mathematical breakthroughs do not come from simply manipulating symbols according to strict rules. Byers writes with verve and clarity about deep and difficult mathematical and philosophical issues such as the relationship between great mathematical ideas and cultural crises. Byers discusses in depth some examples of great ideas and crises...and explains why he is dead against seeing the mind as a computer."--Andrew Robinson, Physics World "It is a pleasure to read [Byers'] well written, carefully referenced, and clearly illustrated arguments. Byers describes what 'doing math is: a process characterized by the complementary poles of proof and idea, of ambiguity and logic.' Byers' book has given me a greater appreciation for mathematics. I recommend it to anyone interested in, and open-minded about, the attempt to define mathematics."--Lee Kennard, Math Horizons "Byers subverts the widely held notion that mathematicians are a form of computer, or robotic followers of unbending rules. In his view, thinking about math requires creativity and the use of non-logical forms of thought. Thus the ambiguity, paradox and contradiction of the subtitle."--The Globe and Mail "Well-organized and carefully written the present book is very useful to all who are interested in How Mathematicians Think!"--Ioan A. Rus, Mathematica "[A] brilliant and easily accessible book on the creative foundations of math and psychology."--Ernest Rossi, Psychological Perspectives "What does one like to learn when one reads a book? Because the reading of a book is a union between its text and the reader's consciousness, one answer is the wedding custom of 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'. All are there in this book... It is a useful book for the apprentice mathematician by clarifying the importance of boldness in making mistakes and declaring that one does not fully understand some technical details which at first sight appear to be more complex than they really are."--Bob Anderssen, Australian Mathematical Society Gazette "Excellent discussions are presented."--EMS Newsletter "[Byers'] book helps us not to eliminate the myths surrounding mathematics and mathematicians, but to master them."--David Cohen, European Legacy "The author is a mathematician, and he plainly knows what he is talking about. In my opinion he has done a good job of getting it across... The book has a lot of worthwhile material to recommend."--Robert Thomas, Philosophia Mathematica "Ultimately, How Mathematicians Think shows that the nature of mathematical thinking can teach us a great deal about the human condition itself."--World Book IndustryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii INTRODUCTION: Turning on the Light 1 SECTION I: THE LIGHT OF AMBIGUITY 21 CHAPTER 1: Ambiguity in Mathematics 25 CHAPTER 2: The Contradictory in Mathematics 80 CHAPTER 3: Paradoxes and Mathematics: Infinity and the Real Numbers 110 CHAPTER 4: More Paradoxes of Infinity: Geometry, Cardinality, and Beyond 146 SECTION II: THE LIGHT AS IDEA 189 CHAPTER 5: The Idea as an Organizing Principle 193 CHAPTER 6: Ideas, Logic, and Paradox 253 CHAPTER 7: Great Ideas 284 SECTION III: THE LIGHT AND THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER 323 CHAPTER 8: The Truth of Mathematics 327 CHAPTER 9: Conclusion: Is Mathematics Algorithmic or Creative? 368 Notes 389 Bibliography 399 Index 407

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Book SynopsisAn anthology that gathers together nearly one hundred selections from the past 500 years of popular math writing. Ranging from the late fifteenth to the late twentieth century, and drawing from books, newspapers, magazines, and websites, it includes recreational, classroom, and work mathematics; mathematical histories and biographies; and, more.Trade Review"One of the pleasures of this book is reading the texts in the language of the day... The collection as a whole provides the general reader with a history of mathematics, biographical and otherwise, through popular writing. Because the writing was aimed at general readers of its time, it is usually accessible to the average mathematical reader of our time. The book would be an excellent reference for teachers of mathematics and for those researching the history of the dissemination of mathematical ideas."--Carol Dorf, American Scientist "[F]or the enthusiast for the history of popular maths writing this is a must-have book."--Brian Clegg, Popular Science "In A Wealth of Numbers, we have the end product of what must have been a lot of challenging research... This book works well for random browsing as well as for sustained reading; purely recreational essays and puzzle problems are well-mixed with more serious topics such as an article explaining Cantor's diagonalization proof and 'Cubic equations for the practical man.' There's something in here for everyone, and it's a great contribution to the mathematics literature to have it all in one place."--Mark Bollman, MAA Reviews "Wardhaugh provides an exciting addition to mathematics anthologies... The physical format is very reader-friendly, with especially good line spacing and margins. The book is valuable for all libraries supporting undergraduate and graduate study, as well as many public libraries. Faculty should consider this as a source of comprehensible readings for aspiring mathematics majors. Individuals interested in math history will want a copy for their personal libraries."--Choice "The Wardhaugh book is a welcome addition to anthologies that have preceded it... Although written for the general reader who is interested in mathematics, the collection is apropos for those who are more mathematically oriented as well... [T]his well-thought-out, eclectic collection will provide hours of enjoyable reading."--Jim Tattersall, CSHPM "Fascinating to browse, a delight to read, and informative... Get this book! It is as much fun to read as it is to share with others, especially students who can gain from doses of past mathematical realities."--Jerry Johnson, Mathematics Teacher "This book permits the reader to pick it up whenever he or she has a few minutes (or longer) to spare, and find a section to fit the available free time and mood. It will provide the reader, novice and expert alike, many hours of learning filled with surprise, pleasure, amazement, and sometimes laughter."--Godfried Toussaint, Zentralblatt MATH "A Wealth of Numbers explores the often overlooked history of popular mathematics in an easy to read and captivating manner. I recommend the book, not only as an excellent research text in this area of mathematics, but as an interesting and entertaining read."--Steve Humble, Mathematics Today MagazineTable of Contents*FrontMatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. v*Preface, pg. xiii*1. "Sports and Pastimes, Done by Number": Mathematical Tricks, Mathematical Games, pg. 1*2. "Much Necessary for All States of Men": From Arithmetic to Algebra, pg. 32*3. "A Goodly Struggle": Problems, Puzzles, and Challenges, pg. 62*4. "Drawyng, Measuring and Proporcion": Geometry and Trigonometry, pg. 84*5. Maps, Monsters, and Riddles: The Worlds of Mathematical Popularization, pg. 108*6. "To Ease and Expedite the Work": Mathematical Instruments and How to Use Them, pg. 152*7. "How Fine a Mind": Mathematicians Past, pg. 176*8. "By Plain and Practical Rules": Mathematics at Work, pg. 216*9. "The Speedier Expedition of Their Learning": Thoughts on Teaching and Learning Mathematics, pg. 245*10. "So Fundamentally Useful a Science": Reflections on Mathematics and Its Place in the World, pg. 290*11. The Mathematicians Who Never Were: Fiction and Humor, pg. 326*Index, pg. 367

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Book SynopsisBy any measure, the Pythagorean theorem is the most famous statement in all of mathematics. In this book, the author reveals the full story of this ubiquitous geometric theorem. It shows that the theorem, although attributed to Pythagoras, was known to the Babylonians more than a thousand years earlier.Trade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 2007 Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Mathematics, Association of American Publishers "This excellent biography of the theorem is like a history of thought written in lines and circles, moving from ancient clay tablets to Einstein's blackboards... There is something intoxicating about seeing one truth revealed in so many ways. It all makes for hours of glorious mathematical distraction."--Ben Longstaff, New Scientist "[The Pythagorean Theorem] is aimed at the reader with an interest in the history of mathematics. It should also appeal to most well-educated people...It is a story based on a theme and guided by a timeline...As a popular account of important ideas and their development, the book should be read by anyone with a good education. It deserves to succeed."--Peter M. Neumann, Times Higher Education Supplement "Based on this recent book, Maor just keeps getting better. Already recognized for his excellent books on infinity, the number e, and trigonometry, Maor offers this new work as a comprehensive overview of the Pythagorean Theorem...If one has never read a book by Eli Maor, this book is a great place to start."--J. Johnson, Choice "Maor expertly tells the story of how this simple theorem known to schoolchildren is part and parcel of much of mathematics itself... Even mathematically savvy readers will gain insights into the inner workings and beauty of mathematics."--Amy Shell-Gellasch, MAA Reviews "Maor's book is a concise history of the Pythagorean theorem, including the mathematicians, cultures, and people influenced by it. The work is well written and supported by several proofs and exampled from Chinese, Arabic, and European sources the document how these unique cultures came to understand and apply the Pythagorean theorem. [The book] provides thoughtful commentary on the historical connections this fascinating theorem has to many cultures and people."--Michael C. Fish, Mathematics Teacher "This book will make for good supplementary reading for high school students, high school teachers, and those with a general interest in mathematics... The author's enthusiasm for his subject is evident throughout the book."--James J. Tattersull, Mathematical Reviews "This book goes beyond the theorem and its proofs to set it beautifully in the context of its time and subsequent history."--Eric S. Rosenthal, Mathematics Magazine "This is an excellent book on the history of the Pythagorean Theorem... This book is suitable to any student who has basic knowledge of calculus but the layperson will also find it interesting... Maor has an exceptional method of writing very technical mathematics in a seamlessly way."--Kuldeep, Mathematics and My Diary "All in all, this affordable book, as with Maor's previous titles, is rollicking good fun and highly recommended to anyone with even the slightest interest in the history of mathematics."--Francis A, Grabowski, European Legacy "The Pythagorean Theorem is rich in information, careful in its presentation, and at times personal in its approach... The variety of its topics and the engaging way they are presented make The Pythagorean Theorem a pleasure to read."--Cecil Rousseau, College Math JournalTable of ContentsList of Color Plates ix Preface xi Prologue: Cambridge, England, 1993 1 Chapter 1: Mesopotamia, 1800 bce 4 Sidebar 1: Did the Egyptians Know It? 13 Chapter 2: Pythagoras 17 Chapter 3: Euclid's Elements 32 Sidebar 2: The Pythagorean Theorem in Art, Poetry, and Prose 45 Chapter 4: Archimedes 50 Chapter 5: Translators and Commentators, 500-1500 ce 57 Chapter 6: Francois Viete Makes History 76 Chapter 7: From the Infinite to the Infinitesimal 82 Sidebar 3: A Remarkable Formula by Euler 94 Chapter 8: 371 Proofs, and Then Some 98 Sidebar 4: The Folding Bag 115 Sidebar 5: Einstein Meets Pythagoras 117 Sidebar 6: A Most Unusual Proof 119 Chapter 9: A Theme and Variations 123 Sidebar 7: A Pythagorean Curiosity 140 Sidebar 8: A Case of Overuse 142 Chapter 10: Strange Coordinates 145 Chapter 11: Notation, Notation, Notation 158 Chapter 12: From Flat Space to Curved Spacetime 168 Sidebar 9: A Case of Misuse 177 Chapter 13: Prelude to Relativity 181 Chapter 14: From Bern to Berlin, 1905-1915 188 Sidebar 10: Four Pythagorean Brainteasers 197 Chapter 15: But Is It Universal? 201 Chapter 16: Afterthoughts 208 Epilogue: Samos, 2005 213 Appendixes A. How did the Babylonians Approximate? 219 B. Pythagorean Triples 221 C. Sums of Two Squares 223 D. A Proof that is Irrational 227 E. Archimedes' Formula for Circumscribing Polygons 229 F. Proof of some Formulas from Chapter 7 231 G. Deriving the Equation x2/3 ??y2/3 ??1 235 H. Solutions to Brainteasers 237 Chronology 241 Bibliography 247 Illustrations Credits 251 Index 253

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Book SynopsisRecalls the last words of the great Greek mathematician Archimedes before he was slain by a Roman soldier - "Don't disturb my circles" - words that seem to refer to two radically different concerns: that of the practical person living in the concrete world of reality, and that of the theoretician lost in a world of abstraction.Trade Review"Editors Doxiadis and Mazur have compiled a collection of 15 essays that look at the many possible roles narrative can play in mathematics, which is usually considered far removed from storytelling... Circles Disturbed will be of special value to collections in history of mathematics, philosophy of mathematics, and mathematical pedagogy."--Choice "Circles Disturbed presents a cohesive narrative whose strength lies in helping each side to understand the other. It should encourage scientists to grasp the logic behind storytelling and literary critics to sense the allure of mathematics."--Mel Bayley, British Society for the History of Mathematics Bulletin "Well thought and well written and with a careful balance between erudition and down-to-earthness all through it, Circles Disturbed is a highly recommended reading for mathematicians and students of mathematics, as well as for anyone who wishes to better understand what it is to do mathematics and why they are done the way they are done."--Capi Corrales Rodriganez, European Mathematical Society "Circles Disturbed will spark interest in younger readers in the commonalities among these three disciplines as well as engage other readers. Further, readers with greater background in one or more topics can see the intra- and the intersections rather naturally and inquisitively. The diverse perspectives represented by the various authors are quite refreshing."--Farshid Safi, Mathematics TeacherTable of ContentsIntroduction vii Chapter 1: From Voyagers to Martyrs: Toward a Storied History of Mathematics 1 By AMIR ALEXANDER Chapter 2 Structure of Crystal, Bucket of Dust 52 By PETER GALISON Chapter 3: Deductive Narrative and the Epistemological Function of Belief in Mathematics: On Bombelli and Imaginary Numbers 79 By FEDERICA LANAVE Chapater 4: Hilbert on Theology and Its Discontents: The Origin Myth of Modern Mathematics 105 By COLIN MCLARTY Chapter 5: Do Androids Prove Theorems in Their Sleep? 130 By MICHAEL HARRIS Chapter 6: Visions, Dreams, and Mathematics 183 By BARRY MAZUR Chapter 7: Vividness in Mathematics and Narrative 211 By TIMOTHY GOWERS Chapter 8: Mathematics and Narrative: Why Are Stories and Proofs Interesting? 232 By BERNARD TEISSIER Chapter 9: Narrative and the Rationality of Mathematical Practice 244 By DAVID CORFIELD Chapter 10: A Streetcar Named (among Other Things) Proof: From Storytelling to Geometry, via Poetry and Rhetoric 281 By APOSTOLOS DOXIADIS Chapter 11: Mathematics and Narrative: An Aristotelian Perspective 389 By G .E .R . LLOYD Chapter 12: Adventures of the Diagonal: Non-Euclidean Mathematics and Narrative 407 By ARADY PLOTNITSKY Chapter 13: Formal Models in Narrative Analysis 447 By DAVID HERMAN Chapter 14: Mathematics and Narrative: A Narratological Perspective 481 By URI MARGOL N Chapter 15: Tales of Contingency, Contingencies of Telling: Toward an Algorithm of Narrative Subjectivity 508 By JAN CHRISTOPH MEISTER Contributors 541 Index 545

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Book SynopsisSet in 1998 with flashbacks to classical Greece, this title investigates the confrontation between opposing views of mathematics and reality, and explores ideas from both early and cutting-edge mathematics.Trade Review"Who would have guessed that a murder-treasure mystery lay hidden behind a geometric formula familiar to every high-schooler? Weaving a wealth of mathematical scholarship into a compellingly plotted novel, Sangalli recounts a fascinating tale of ancient arson and modern sleuthing, as Pythagoras of Samos (forever linked to the triangular theorem bearing his name) perishes amid brutal intrigues sweeping an early Greek colony, yet leaves behind a tantalizing legacy of numerical reasoning and paranormal mysticism... To be sure, it is the author's own fertile imagination that generates the characters who form this resolute band and then scripts the adventures they encounter in their unlikely international quest... [R]eaders will learn a great deal about real mathematics and its history as they join Pythagoras' modern epigones in pondering the meaning of geometrical patterns, the surprising randomness in numbers, and the logic of mathematical proofs... [T]his engaging narrative will persuade many readers that mathematics offers far more excitement than they had previously supposed."--Bryce Christensen, Booklist "[The book] comes together [around] the tantalizing possibility that Pythagoras, who forbade his followers to write down any of his sayings, may just have left something tangible after all. Sangalli builds his story on this, using clues from ancient texts, bits of mathematical lore and interesting arcana, like the puzzle that couldn't be patented because it had no solution. For a total escape, this novel is perfect."--Margaret Cannon, Globe and Mail "Pythagoras' Revenge: A Mathematical Mystery is more than just a novel. It is also an introduction to several big ideas in mathematics, from infinite series to unsolvable puzzles... [T]his romp through ancient and modern mathematics is entertaining in patches, and certainly a cut above standard holiday reading. Despite occasional plot hiccups, its gripping story will likely hold readers to the end."--Physics World "Initially Pythagoras' Revenge was intended to discuss the tyranny of numbers in modern societies in the same style as Sangalli's previous book. But, as if by magic, it became instead a work of fiction... What remains after the end of this page-turner is Sangalli's impressive capacity to communicate mathematics. Let us take this book as a reminder to capitalize on the full potential of scientific storytelling."--Javier Fresan, Notices of the AMS "This is an entertaining read, and although the plot is implausible at times it succeeds in conveying a variety of mathematical and philosophical ideas in a simple and light-hearted way... Pythagoras' Revenge is a gripping novel that offers a refreshing way to learn about mathematics."--Sarah Shepherd, iSquared "Human beings are story making animals, and this book shows that there is an opportunity to make use of this approach in the field. A fascinating attempt."--Brian Clegg, Popular Science "Read this book if you like mathematics and spend some time ruminating over the larger philosophical questions that are implicit in modern math. Such questions go directly to the heart of modern scientific culture."--William Byers, European Legacy "If you like conspiracy adventure, and can dismiss the shallow characters and clunky sub-plots, it's a fun read as you get the history, philosophy, and theories on randomness and math, and of a figure who famously said, 'All is Number.'"--Phil Semler, San Francisco Book ReviewTable of ContentsPreface ix List of Main Characters xi Prologue xiii PART I: A TIME CAPSULE? Chapter 1. The Fifteen Puzzle 3 Chapter 2. The Impossible Manuscript 10 Chapter 3. Game Over 19 Chapter 4. A Trip to London 25 Chapter 5. A Letter from the Past 32 Chapter 6. Found and Lost 38 Chapter 7. A Death in the Family 46 PART II: AN EXTRAORDINARILY GIFTED MAN Chapter 8. The Mission 53 Chapter 9. Norton Thorp 63 Chapter 10. Random Numbers 69 Chapter 11. Randomness Everywhere 76 Chapter 12. Vanished 82 PART III: A SECT OF NEO-PYTHAGOREANS Chapter 13. The Mandate 85 Chapter 14. The Beacon 87 Chapter 15. The Team 98 Chapter 16. The Hunt 106 Chapter 17. The Symbol of the Serpent 115 Chapter 18. A Professional Job 122 Chapter 19. With a Little Help from Your Sister 126 PART IV: PYTHAGORAS' MISSION Chapter 20. All Roads Lead to Rome 139 Chapter 21. Kidnapped 152 Chapter 22. The Last Piece of the Puzzle 158 Epilogue 169 Appendix 1: Jule's Solution 171 Appendix 2: Infi nitely Many Primes 173 Appendix 3: Random Sequences 175 Appendix 4: A Simple Visual Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem 177 Appendix 5: Perfect and Figured Numbers 178 Notes, Credits, and Bibliographical Sources 181

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Book SynopsisHenri Poincar (1854-1912) was not just one of the most inventive, versatile, and productive mathematicians of all time - he was also a leading physicist who almost won a Nobel Prize for physics. This book explores all the fields that Poincar touched, the debates sparked by his investigations, and how his discoveries still contribute to society.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 "[M]asterly ... Gray encapsulates Poincare's multiple dimensions; his intellectual biography is both a tour de force and a triumph of readability."--George Szpiro, Nature "Gray shows us the full dazzling sweep of what Poincare accomplished, including the work on dynamical systems and chaos that only came into its own in recent years. A tour de force, Gray's masterful treatment will long remain an invaluable resource for all who want to understand Poincare, so embedded within his times and yet so far ahead of them."--Peter Pesic, Science "[A] comprehensive but uncluttered guide to Poincare's extensive oeuvres."--Madeline Muntersbjorn, Times Higher Education "Full of the mathematical, physical and metaphysical ideas of a man who was not only a dispassionate observer of the world around us, but of our way of understanding it."--Mark Ronan, Standpoint Magazine (U.K.) "[A] comprehensive assessment of Poincare's work and its importance, essential for anyone interested in Poincare's scholarship or the history of mathematics."--Laura Tarwater Scharp, Sacramento Book Review "Comprehensive."--Science News "A fundamental study of the scientific work of one of the greatest mathematicians and mathematical physicists of the three decades straddling the 19th and 20th centuries... Chapters are organized topically, not chronologically. Each illuminates in depth one or other of Poincare's works but all are set in context both historical and temathic such that each can serve as an introduction into the many subjects to which Poincare made a contribution."--Alexander Bogomolny, CTK Insights "Poincare's work is fully alive in science today. This biography is one of the first thorough introductions to his work, it should get the attention of mathematicians, natural scientists and philosophers."--Ferdinand Verhulst, European Legacy "Gray, a mathematics historian and scholar on the life and work of Henry Poincare, has, with the support of a Leverhulme Research Fellowship, produced this comprehensive and definitive 'scientific biography.' Gray offers abundant rich information on Poincare's ideas and scientific process, the evolution and maturity of his mathematics including missteps, the dexterity of his reasoning, and the influences that shaped his thought."--Choice "I recommend [this] book highly."--Robert E. O'Malley, Jr., SIAM Review "Jeremy Gray's book on Poincare's mathematics, physics, and philosophy is an important contribution to the literature and a huge step towards a full biography of this pioneer of modern science."--Reinhard Siegmund-Schultze, Zentralblatt MATH "Gray's book is a comprehensive scientific biography of Poincare. It embraces the broad scope of Poincare's work, from his philosophical speculations to his popular writing, and gives a thorough overview of his extensive mathematical researches."--Peter Lynch, Irish Mathematical Society Bulletin "[T]he author does not simply give platitudes when writing about Poincare's ideas: mathematicians will enjoy reading about his discoveries concerning the three-body problem, the theory of functions, topology, number theory, Lie theory, algebraic geometry, and probability. This scientific biography is the first to comprehensively cover all of Poincare's main contributions to mathematics, philosophy, and physics."--Alan S. McRae, Mathemematical Reviews Clippings "Jeremy Gray has done a marvelous job of exposition and of binding together the many different cognitive, social and biographical strands into the coherent whole of a challenging, but highly rewarding, 'scientific biography'."--Klaus Hentschel, British Journal for the History of Science "A good intellectual biography of an artist should help the reader see how a particular worldview shapes the pursuit of art. Gray's book does that most admirably."--Daniel S. Alexander, H-France Review "Henry Poincare is likely to remain the standard by which scientific biographies, at least those that concern physicists and mathematicians, are judged for some time."--Christopher Cumo, Canadian Journal of History "I warmly recommend the book to anyone with an interest in the development of modern mathematics. It will surely be the definitive scientific biography of Poincare for the foreseeable future."--John Stillwell, Notices of the AMS "Gray describes Poincare's scientific epoch in a beautiful way. Due attention is paid to the mathematical and further scientific aspects of his life, and the intellectual complexity of his achievements, both in their range and their depth, are amply discussed. Gray displays a mastery of his material that is rare even among historians of mathematics and science, and his biography is richly rewarding, engrossing, and informative. He deserves our congratulations."--H. W. Broer, Journal of the British Society for the History of Mathematics "Gray succeeds admirably in presenting both the conceptual and the historical context necessary to appreciate Poincare's contributions. Gray's masterful biography may well serve as a standard example for future endeavors of this kind."--Tilman Sauer, Isis "The obvious virtue of this book is its comprehensiveness. The deeper virtue is to connect Poincare's views of all the parts of his work and to encourage more of that. Gray gives us Poincare's view of Science as a whole."--Colin McLarty, Mathematical Intelligencer "The book is an endless source of interesting insights by Poincare... I would recommend the book for mathematicians, mathematics educators, and philosophers in higher education who want a rich understanding of Poincare, his work, and his times."--Mary L. Garner, Mathematics TeacherTable of ContentsList of Figures ix Preface xi Introduction 1 * Views of Poincare 3 * Poincare's Way of Thinking 6 1 The Essayist 27 * Poincare and the Three Body Problem 27 * Poincare's Popular Essays 34 * Paris Celebrates the New Century 59 * Science, Hypothesis, Value 67 * Poincare and Projective Geometry 76 * Poincare's Popular Writings on Physics 100 * The Future of Mathematics 112 * Poincare among the Logicians 123 * Poincare's Defenses of Science 144 2 Poincare's Career 153 * Childhood, Schooling 153 * The Ecole Polytechnique 157 * The Ecole des Mines 158 * Academic Life 160 * The Dreyfus Affair 165 * National Spokesman 169 * Contemporary Technology 177 * International Representative 187 * The Nobel Prize 192 *"1911", "1912" 200 * Remembering Poincare 202 3 The Prize Competition of 1880 207 * The Competition 207 * Fuchs, Schwarz, Klein, and Automorphic Functions 224 * Uniformization, 1882 to 1907 247 4 The Three Body Problem 253 * Flows on Surfaces 253 * Stability Questions 265 * Poincare's Essay and Its Supplements 266 *Les Methodes Nouvelles de la Mecanique Celeste 281 * Poincare Returns 291 5 Cosmogony 300 * Rotating Fluid Masses 300 6 Physics 318 * Theories of Electricity before Poincare: Maxwell 318 * Poincare's Electricite et Optique, 1890 329 * Larmor and Lorentz: The Electron and the Ether 338 * Poincare on Hertz and Lorentz 346 * St. Louis, 1904 356 * The Dynamics of the Electron 361 * Poincare and Einstein 367 * Early Quantum Theory 378 7 Theory of Functions and Mathematical Physics 382 * Function Theory of a Single Variable 382 * Function Theory of Several Variables 391 * Poincare's Approach to Potential Theory 402 * The Six Lectures in Gottingen, 1909 416 8 Topology 427 * Topology before Poincare 427 * Poincare's Work, 1895 to 1905 432 9 Interventions in Pure Mathematics 467 * Number Theory 467 * Lie Theory 489 * Algebraic Geometry 498 10 Poincare as a Professional Physicist 509 * Thermodynamics 513 * Probability 518 11 Poincare and the Philosophy of Science 525 * Poincare: Idealist, Skeptic, or Structural Realist? 525 12 Appendixes 543 * Elliptic and Abelian Functions 543 * Maxwell's Equations 545 * Glossary 548 References 553 * Articles and Books by Poincare 554 * Other Authors 564 Name Index 585 Subject Index 589

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of the 2016 PROSE Award in Mathematics, Association of American Publishers One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2015 "Mathematics without Apologies ... provide[s] an unmatched perspective on life in this 'problematic vocation' ... a kaleidoscope of philosophical, sociological, historical and literary perspectives on what mathematicians do, and why."--Amir Alexander, Nature "Harris is the kind of mathematician one hopes to meet at an intimate dinner party... Recommended for curious readers in any subject wishing to answer problems in creative ways."--Library Journal "If you are interested at all in what mathematics really is and what the best mathematicians really do (and you're up for an intellectual challenge), I highly recommend that you get a copy and set some time aside for delving into this unusual book... Harris manages to move back and forth between the deepest ideas about mathematics at the frontiers of the subject, insightful takes on the sociology of mathematical research, and a variety of topics pursued in a sometimes gonzo version of post-modern academic style. You will surely sometimes be baffled, but definitely will come away knowing about many things you'd never heard of before, and with a lot of new ideas to think about."--Peter Woit, Not Even Wrong "[A] wry and insightful look at what being a pure mathematician is all about, as seen from the inside."--Steven Strogatz, Physics Today "This extraordinary, extravagant Apologia pro Vita Sua--the title more deliberately echoes G. H. Hardy's renowned 1940 memoir A Mathematician's Apology--heads off in many directions and is all the more admirable for it. The book is part memoir, part account of the arcane research that brought number theorist Harris a measure of fame, and part sociological/economic study of academic mathematics. Together with interspersed chapters amusingly titled 'How to Explain Number Theory at a Dinner Party,' the work offers erudition, panache, and an intriguing authorial voice... A book to be read and then read again."--Choice "The erudition displayed by Harris in this book is amazing... The satisfaction it gives is more than rewarding."--A. Bultheel, Adhemar Bultheel Blog "This book is a rich tapestry interweaving various aspects of culture and tradition--social, economic, religious, aesthetic--in an attempt to explicate the three basic philosophical questions underlying mathematics as a human endeavor: the What, Why and How of it."--Swami Vidyanathananda, Prabuddha Bharata "Michael Harris is more than a mathematician; he is a Parisian intellectual."--Brendan Larvor, London Mathematical Society Newsletter "Even apprentice number theorists can understand and enjoy this well-written book. Harris's theories are coherent and rational, and he provides lay readers clarity into what contemporary mathematicians really do."--Bernadette Trainer, Mathematics TeacherTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xix Part I 1 Chapter 1. Introduction: The Veil 3 Chapter 2. How I Acquired Charisma 7 Chapter alpha. How to Explain Number Theory at a Dinner Party 41 (First Session: Primes) 43 Chapter 3. Not Merely Good, True, and Beautiful 54 Chapter 4. Megaloprepeia 80 Chapter ss. How to Explain Number Theory at a Dinner Party 109 (Second Session: Equations) 109 Bonus Chapter 5. An Automorphic Reading of Thomas Pynchon's Against the Day (Interrupted by Elliptical Reflections on Mason & Dixon) 128 Part II 139 Chapter 6. Further Investigations of the Mind-Body Problem 141 Chapter ss.5. How to Explain Number Theory at a Dinner Party 175 (Impromptu Minisession: Transcendental Numbers) 175 Chapter 7. The Habit of Clinging to an Ultimate Ground 181 Chapter 8. The Science of Tricks 222 Part III 257 Chapter gamma. How to Explain Number Theory at a Dinner Party 259 (Third Session: Congruences) 259 Chapter 9. A Mathematical Dream and Its Interpretation 265 Chapter 10. No Apologies 279 Chapter delta. How to Explain Number Theory at a Dinner Party 311 (Fourth Session: Order and Randomness) 311 Afterword: The Veil of Maya 321 Notes 327 Bibliography 397 Index of Mathematicians 423 Subject Index 427

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Book SynopsisWhat did mathematicians rely on for their work before then? And how did mathematical notations evolve into what we know today? This book explains the history behind the development of our mathematical notation system.Trade Review"Mazur (Euclid in the Rainforest) gives readers the fascinating history behind the mathematical symbols we use, and completely take for granted, every day. Mathematical notation turns numbers into sentences--or, to the uninitiated, a mysterious and impenetrable code. Mazur says the story of math symbols begins some 3,700 years ago, in ancient Babylon, where merchants incised tallies of goods on cuneiform tablets, along with the first place holder--a blank space. Many early cultures used letters for both numbers and an alphabet, but convenient objects like rods, fingers, and abacus beads, also proved popular. Mazur shows how our 'modern' system began in India, picking up the numeral 'zero' on its way to Europe, where it came into common use in the 16th century, thanks to travelers and merchants as well as mathematicians like Fibonacci. Signs for addition, subtraction, roots, and equivalence followed, but only became standardized through the influence of scientists and mathematicians like Rene Descartes and Gottfried Leibniz. Mazur's lively and accessible writing makes what could otherwise be a dry, arcane history as entertaining as it is informative."--Publishers Weekly "[A] fascinating narrative... This is a nuanced, intelligently framed chronicle packed with nuggets--such as the fact that Hindus, not Arabs, introduced Arabic numerals. In a word: enlightening."--George Szpiro, Nature "Mazur begins by illustrating how the ancient Incas and Mayans managed to write specific, huge numbers. Then, for more than 200 pages, he traces the history of division signs, square roots, pi, exponents, graph axes and other symbols in the context of cognition, communication, and analysis."--Washington Post "Mazur delivers a solid exposition of an element of mathematics that is fundamental to its history."--Library Journal "Mazur treats only a subset of F. Cajori's monumental A History of Mathematical Notation (Dover, 1993 first edition 1922) and there is overlap with many other mathematical history books, but Mazur adds new findings and insights and it is so much more entertaining ... and these features make it an interesting addition to the existing literature for anybody with only a slight interest in mathematics or its history."--European Mathematical Society "Symbols like '+' and '=' are so ingrained that it's hard to conceive of math without them. But a new book, Enlightening Symbols: A Short History of Mathematical Notation and its Hidden Power, offers a surprising reminder: Until the early 16th century, math contained no symbols at all."--Kevin Hartnett, Boston Globe "Enlightening Symbols retraces the winding road that has led to the way we now teach, study, and conceive mathematics... Thanks to Mazur's playful approach to the subject, Enlightening Symbols offers an enjoyable read."--Gaia Donati, Science "If you enjoy reading about history, languages and science, then you'll enjoy this book... The best part is the writing is compelling enough that you don't have to be a mathematician to enjoy this informative book."--Guardian.com's GrrlScientist blog "[I]nformative, highly readable and scholarly."--Brian Rotman, Literary Review "[T]his insightful account of the historical development of a highly characteristic feature of the mathematical enterprise also represents a valuable contribution to our understanding of the nature of mathematics."--Eduard Glas, Mathematical Reviews Clippings "Joseph Mazur's beautiful book Enlightening Symbols tells the story of human civilization through the development of mathematical notation. Surprises abound... The book is visually exquisite, great care having been taken with illustrations and figures. Mazur's discussion of the emergence of particular symbols affords the reader an overview of the often difficult primary literature."--Donal O'Shea, Sarasota Herald-Tribune "At whatever depth one chooses to read it, Enlightening Symbols has something for everyone. It is entertaining and eclectic, and Mazur's personal and easy style helps connect us with those who led the long and winding search for the best ways to quantify and analyze our world. Their success has liberated us from 'the shackles of our physical impressions of space'--and of the particular and the concrete--'enabling imagination to wander far beyond the tangible world we live in, and into the marvels of generality.'"--Robyn Arianrhod, Notices of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society "Mazur introduces the reader to major characters, weaves in relevant aspects of wider culture and gives a feel for the breadth of mathematical history. It is a useful book for both student and interested layperson alike."--Mark McCartney, London Mathematical Society "[T]his is a good book. It is well written by an experienced author and is full of interesting facts about how the symbols used in mathematics have arisen. It would certainly interest anyone who studies the history of mathematics."--Phil Dyke, Leonardo "Mazur is a master story teller."--John Stillwell, Bulletin of the American Mathematical SocietyTable of ContentsIntroduction ix Definitions xxi Note on the Illustrations xxiii Part 1 Numerals 1 1. Curious Beginnings 3 2. Certain Ancient Number Systems 10 3. Silk and Royal Roads 26 4. The Indian Gift 35 5. Arrival in Europe 51 6. The Arab Gift 60 7. Liber Abbaci 64 8. Refuting Origins 73 Part 2 Algebra 81 9. Sans Symbols 85 10. Diophantus's Arithmetica 93 11. The Great Art 109 12. Symbol Infancy 116 13. The Timid Symbol 127 14. Hierarchies of Dignity 133 15. Vowels and Consonants 141 16. The Explosion 150 17. A Catalogue of Symbols 160 18. The Symbol Master 165 19. The Last of the Magicians 169 Part 3 The Power of Symbols 177 20. Rendezvous in the Mind 179 21. The Good Symbol 189 22. Invisible Gorillas 192 23. Mental Pictures 210 24. Conclusion 216 Appendix A Leibniz's Notation 221 Appendix B Newton's Fluxion of xn 223 Appendix C Experiment 224 Appendix D Visualizing Complex Numbers 228 Appendix E Quaternions 230 Acknowledgments 233 Notes 235 Index 269

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Book SynopsisJohn Napier (1550-1617) is celebrated today as the man who invented logarithms--an enormous intellectual achievement that would soon lead to the development of their mechanical equivalent in the slide rule: the two would serve humanity as the principal means of calculation until the mid-1970s. Yet, despite Napier's pioneering efforts, his life andTrade Review"John Napier fills a gap concerning an important, and often ignored, chapter of mathematical history."--George Szpiro, Nature "In this engaging book, we learn more about Napier the mathematician, the religious zealot, the person."--Devorah Bennu, The Guardian, Grrl Scientist "Edinburgh born John Napier, the inventor of logarithms, is in danger of fading into the shadows of the scientific landscape. In the new book John Napier: Life, Logarithms, and Legacy, Julian Havil does a marvelous job of bringing Napier back into the spotlight."--Stephanie Blanda, American Mathematical Society blog "I'm sure after reading this entertaining and enjoyable book, Napier will climb some rungs on your ladder of famous mathematicians."--A. Bultheel, European Mathematical Society "Havil ... gives a rich history of Napier's involvement in the Protestant reformation, his introduction of logarithms, and his legacy."--Choice "With this book, the author continues his impressive series of illuminating, accessible monographs on the history of mathematics."--Bart J. I. Van Kerkhove, Mathematical Review "This book fills a clear gap in published work on Napier and is likely to be the standard point of departure for those interested in his life and work for some years to come."--Mark McCartney, London Mathematical Society Newsletter "It is clearly a very interesting book."--Ernesto Nungesser, Irish Math Society Bulletin "Havil's attention to detail is without equal in the opinion of this reviewer."--John A. Adam, ScotiaTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xv Introduction 1 Chapter One Life and Lineage 8 Chapter Two Revelation and Recognition 35 Chapter Three A New Tool for Calculation 62 Chapter Four Constructing the Canon 96 Chapter Five Analogue and Digital Computers 131 Chapter Six Logistics: The Art of Computing Well 155 Chapter Seven Legacy 179 Epilogue 207 Appendix A Napier's Works 209 Appendix B The Scottish Science Hall of Fame 210 Appendix C Scotland and Conflict 211 Appendix D Scotland and Reformation 216 Appendix E A Stroll Down Memory Lane 220 Appendix F Methods of Multiplying 229 Appendix G Amending Napier's Kinematic Model 232 Appendix H Napier's Inequalities 233 Appendix I Hos Ego Versiculos Feci 236 Appendix J The Rule of Three 238 Appendix K Mercator's Map 250 Appendix L The Swiss Claimant 264 References 270 Index 275

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An equal to its companion volume, The Mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam: A Sourcebook this scholarly effort fills a noticeable void... Any individual who enjoys mathematics will learn a great amount about mathematical history in a context that is often not discussed or covered."--Choice "[A] very deep and detailed dive into the mathematics of the medieval era."--Charles Ashbacher, MAA ReviewsTable of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. v*Preface, pg. xi*Permissions, pg. xiii*General Introduction, pg. 1*Chapter 1. The Latin Mathematics of Medieval Europe, pg. 4*Chapter 2. Mathematics in Hebrew in Medieval Europe, pg. 224*Chapter 3. Mathematics in the Islamic World in Medieval Spain and North Africa, pg. 381*Appendices, pg. 549*Editors and Contributors, pg. 567*Index, pg. 571

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Book SynopsisTrigonometry has always been an underappreciated branch of mathematics. It has a reputation as a dry and difficult subject, a glorified form of geometry complicated by tedious computation. In this book, Eli Maor draws on his remarkable talents as a guide to the world of numbers to dispel that view. Rejecting the usual arid descriptions of sine, cosTrade Review"Maor's presentation of the historical development of the concepts and results deepens one's appreciation of them, and his discussion of the personalities involved and their politics and religions puts a human face on the subject. His exposition of mathematical arguments is thorough and remarkably easy to understand. There is a lot of material here that teachers can use to keep their students awake and interested. In short, Trigonometric Delights should be required reading for everyone who teaches trigonometry and can be highly recommended for anyone who uses it."--George H. Swift, American Mathematics Monthly "[Maor] writes enthusiastically and engagingly... Delightful reading from cover to cover. Trigonometric Delights is a welcome addition."--Sean Bradley, MAA Online "Maor clearly has a great love of trigonometry, formulas and all, and his enthusiasm shines through... If you always wanted to know where trigonometry came from, and what it's good for, you'll find plenty here to enlighten you."--Ian Stewart, New Scientist "This book will appeal to a general audience interested in the history of mathematics. I highly recommend [it] to teachers who would like to ground their lessons in the sort of mathematical investigations that were undertaken throughout history."--Richard S. Kitchen, Mathematics TeacherTable of ContentsPreface xi Prologue: Ahmes the Scribe, 1650 B.C. 3 Recreational Mathematics in Ancient Egypt 11 1.Angles 15 2.Chords 20 Plimpton 322: The Earliest Trigonometric Table? 30 3.Six Functions Come of Age 35 Johann Muller, alias Regiomontanus 41 4.Trigonometry Becomes Analytic 50 Francois Viete 56 5.Measuring Heaven and Earth 63 Abraham De Moivre 80 6.Two Theorems from Geometry 87 7.Epicycloids and Hypocycloids 95 Maria Agnesi and Her "Witch" 108 8.Variations on a Theme by Gauss 112 9.Had Zeno Only Known This! 117 10.(sin x)/x 129 11.A Remarkable Formula 139 Jules Lissajous and His Figures 145 12.tan x 150 13.A Mapmaker's Paradise 165 14.sin x = 2: Imaginary Trigonometry 181 Edmund Landau: The Master Rigorist 192 15. Fourier's Theorem 198 Appendixes 211 1.Let's Revive an Old Idea 213 2.Barrow's Integration of sec o 218 3.Some Trigonometric Gems 220 4.Some Special Values of sin alpha 222 Bibliography 225 Credits for Illustrations 229 Index 231

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Book SynopsisOn October 23, 1852, Professor Augustus De Morgan wrote a letter to a colleague, unaware that he was launching one of the most famous mathematical conundrums in history - one that would confound thousands of puzzlers for more than a century. This book tells the amazing story of how the "map problem" was solved.Trade Review"The simplicity of the four-color conjecture is deceptive. Just how deceptive is made clear by Robin Wilson's delightful history of the quest to resolve it... Four Colors Suffice is strewn with good anecdotes, and the author ... proves himself skillful at making the mathematics accessible."--Jim Holt, New York Review of Books "Wilson's lucid history weaves together lively anecdotes, biographical sketches, and a non-technical account of the mathematics."--Science "Earlier books ... relate some of the relevant history in their introductions, but they are primarily technical. In contrast, Four Colors Suffice is a blend of history anecdotes and mathematics. Mathematical arguments are presented in a clear, colloquial style, which flows gracefully."--Daniel S. Silver, American Scientist "Robin Wilson appeals to the mathematical novice with an unassuming lucidity. It's thrilling to see great mathematicians fall for seductively simple proofs, then stumble on equally simple counter-examples. Or swallow their pride."--Jascha Hoffman, The Boston Globe "A thoroughly accessible history of attempts to prove the four-color theorem. Wilson defines the problem and explains some of the methods used by those trying to solve it. His descriptions of the contributions made by dozens of dedicated, and often eccentric, mathematicians give a fascinating insight into how mathematics moves forward, and how approaches have changed over the past 50 years... It's comforting to know that however indispensable computers become, there will always be a place for the delightfully eccentric mathematical mind. Let's hope that Robin Wilson continues to write about them."--Elizabeth Sourbut, New Scientist "An attractive and well-written account of the solution of the Four Color Problem... It tells in simple terms an exciting story. It ... give[s] the reader a view into the world of mathematicians, their ideas and methods, discussions, competitions, and ways of collaboration. As such it is warmly recommended."--Bjarne Toft, Notices of the American Mathematical Society "Recreational mathematicians will find Wilson's history of the conjecture an approachable mix of its technical and human aspects... Wilson explains all with exemplary clarity and an accent on the eccentricities of the characters."--Booklist "Wilson gives a clear account of the proof ... enlivened by historical tales."--Alastair Rae, Physics World "Wilson provides a lively narrative and good, easy-to-read arguments showing not only some of the victories but the defeats as well... Even those with only a mild interest in coloring problems or graphs or topology will have fun reading this book... [It is] entertaining, erudite and loaded with anecdotes."--G.L. Alexanderson, MAA OnlineTable of ContentsForeword by Ian Stewart xi Preface to the Revised Color Edition xiii Preface to the Original Edition xv 1The Four-Color Problem 1 What Is the Four-Color Problem? | Why Is It Interesting? | Is It Important? | What Is Meant by "Solving" It? | Who Posed It, and How Was It Solved? | Painting by Numbers | Two Examples 2The Problem Is Posed 12 De Morgan Writes a Letter | Hotspur and the Athenaeum | Mobius and the Five Princes | Confusion Reigns 3Euler's Famous Formula 28 Euler Writes a Letter | From Polyhedra to Maps | Only Five Neighbors | A Counting Formula 4Cayley Revives the Problem ... 45 Cayley's Query | Knocking Down Dominoes | Minimal Criminals | The Six-Color Theorem 5... and Kempe Solves It 55 Sylvester's New Journal | Kempe's Paper | Kempe Chains | Some Variations | Back to Baltimore 6A Chapter of Accidents 71 A Challenge for the Bishop | A Visit to Scotland | Cycling around Polyhedra | A Voyage around the World | Wee Planetoids 7A Bombshell from Durham 86 Heawood's Map | A Salvage Operation | Coloring Empires | Maps on Bagels | Picking Up the Pieces 8Crossing the Atlantic 105 Two Fundamental Ideas | Finding Unavoidable Sets | Finding Reducible Configurations | Coloring Diamonds | How Many Ways? 9A New Dawn Breaks 124 Bagels and Traffic Cops | Heinrich Heesch | Wolfgang Haken | Enter the Computer | Coloring Horseshoes 10Success! 139 A Heesch-Haken Partnership? | Kenneth Appel | Getting Down to Business | The Final Onslaught | A Race against Time | Aftermath 11Is It a Proof? 157 Cool Reaction | What Is a Proof Today? | Meanwhile ... | A New Proof | Into the Next Millennium | The Future Chronology of Events 171 Notes and References 175 Glossary 187 Picture Credits 193 Index 195

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Book SynopsisThe mathematics of ancient Egypt was fundamentally different from our math today. Contrary to what people might think, it wasn't a primitive forerunner of modern mathematics. This title provides an introduction to the intuitive and often-surprising art of ancient Egyptian math.Trade Review"Count Like an Egyptian would make an excellent addition to math classrooms at many different levels. Reimer includes problems in the text and solutions in the back of the book, so the reader can practice techniques and get a feel for exactly how the system works as they go through the book. The mathematics is basic enough to be helpful for children learning fractions or multiplication for the first time, but it's also different enough from the methods most of us know that adults will get a lot out of it as well."--Evelyn Lamb, Scientific American "History lovers will gain much more than just insight into the Egyptian mind-set. The author interleaves mathematical exposition with short essays on Egyptian history, culture, geography, mythology--all, like the rest of the book, beautifully illustrated... For a lively and inquiring mind the book has a good deal to offer. It is well written, lavishly illustrated, and just awfully interesting. The book is a pleasure to hold, to browse, and to read."--Alexander Bogomolny, Cut the Knot "You get the feeling that David Reimer must be a pretty entertaining teacher. An associate professor of mathematics at the College of New Jersey, he has taken on the task of explaining ancient math systems by having you use them. And though it's not easy, he manages to lead you, step by step, through a hieroglyphic based calculation of how many 10-pesu loaves of bread you can make from seven hekat of grain."--Nancy Szokan, Washington Post "An interesting combination of history, ancient literature and mythology, arithmetic puzzles and mathematics, and lavishly illustrated with numerous colour diagrams, this engaging book is unusual, thought-provoking and just plain fun to read."--Devorah Bennu, GrrlScientist, The Guardian "Count Like an Egyptian is a beautifully illustrated and well-written book... Reimer's overriding goal is to demonstrate that Egyptian fraction arithmetic is fascinating, versatile, and well suited for whatever calls fractions into existence... By working through the material Reimer patiently and gently presents, the reader will have a more thorough understanding and appreciation of how Egyptian scribes made the calculations needed to administer an empire bent on building pyramids and granaries, surveying flooded riverside property, digging irrigation basins, and rationing or exchanging bread and beer supplies amongst its gangs of workers... This book should find a home in libraries used by middle school and high school mathematics teachers. It also provides a good resource for mathematics education professors and their students on the college level as they explore historical beginnings of mathematical ideas, make cultural comparisons, and develop interdisciplinary connections."--Calvin Jongsma, MAA Reviews "An interesting combination of history, ancient literature and mythology, arithmetic puzzles and mathematics, and lavishly illustrated with numerous colour diagrams, this engaging book is unusual, thought-provoking and just plain fun to read."--GrrrlScientist "This amusing popular introduction to an uncommon subject is a mental adventure that sheds new light on the thought processes of a lost civilization and will appeal both to those who enjoy mathematical puzzles and to Egyptophiles."--Edward K. Werner, Library Journal "In general I really like this book and believe it is, if not necessarily a must for all Egyptophiles, then definitely one to put on the wish list as an interesting addition to your bookshelf... It is fun way of working through complicated and yet practical mathematics which makes the Rhind Papyrus come alive and gives an insight into the logical brain of ancient Egyptian scribes."--Charlotte Booth, charlottesegypt.com "Reimer succeeds very well in transferring his enthusiasm tor the Egyptian system to the reader. The reactions from his students who were used tor a try-out are claimed to be positive. But even if you do not want to graduate as an Egyptian scribe, you may be charmed by the witty Egyptian system and you will be delighted by the colourful illustrations and Reimer's entertaining account of it all."--A. Bultheel, European Mathematical Society "Count Like an Egyptian takes the reader step-by-step through the ancient Egyptian methods, which are surprisingly different from our own, and yet, in the capable hands of author David Reimer, surprisingly understandable. This lovely book has fun illustrations to demonstrate the various operations, basic geometry, and other tasks faced by the scribes... This book is a pleasure to read and makes Egyptian math a pleasure to learn."--Gretchen Wagner, San Francisco Book Review "The book is intended to be used as a teaching tool and includes practice examples for the student. It would be difficult to imagine a work that more effectively covers this aspect of the ancient civilization."--JPP, Ancient Egypt "David Reimer succeeds in keeping the mathematics in Count Like an Egyptian clever and light, raising this book into a rare category: a coffee table book that is serious and fun."--Robert Schaefer, New York Journal of Books "This volume is ideal for anyone, and I truly mean anyone, young or old, mathematician, student or teacher, who wants to learn how the ancient Egyptians did mathematics... This book has all the Egyptian mathematics a general mathematician, teacher or student could ever want to learn. In particular it would be a perfect resource for a schoolteacher, elementary through lower division college. The material is presented in a direct and accessible manner."--Amy Shell-Gellasch, CSHPM Bulletin "Overall this is a didactic and well written book, with many important illustrations, with some incursions in the mathematics of other ancient cultures."--European Mathematical Society "With Reimer's guidance, motivating stories, and lighthearted remarks, readers can become facile with Egyptian algorithms and the insights they reveal... Valuable for all readers looking for a guided of an alternative to traditional school arithmetic and the torpor that algorithmic training causes."--Choice "[T]his book is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in seeing exactly how ancient Egyptians dealt with mathematics. It will help put our present algorithms into perspective as simply one of many possible algorithms one could use to perform arithmetic operations."--Victor J. Katz, Mathematical Reviews Clippings "[Reimer] ... set himself to understand and explain the ancient methods, and the result is an approachable, thorough and lavishly-produced book."--Owen Toller, Mathematical Gazette "Count like an Egyptian is a beautifully glossy and colourful book; the presentation of hieroglyphs is particularly well done, and fully interated into the surrounding text... This book has given me a new perspective on day-to-day arithmetic."--Christopher Hollings, Mathematics Today "This is a wonderful book, very well written, filled with illustrations on every page, witty, addressing anyone interested in grade school arithmetic."--Victor V. Pambuccian, Zentralblatt MATH "Count Like an Egyptian is important for anyone interested in alternative algorithms... If you want to roll up your sleeves and learn some new mathematics, this is the book for you."--Michael Manganello, Mathematics Teacher "An engaging and beautifully illustrated book that deals with the basics of ancient Egyptian mathematics, set in the wider context of other ancient mathematical systems."--Corinna Rossi, Aestimatio "A great approach and a dedicated effort. One hopes the book will reflect that persistence and it does... This is a book that comes recommended, for anyone who wants to know where our current basis of mathematics comes from through to those with an interest in maths and history."--Gordon Clarke, Gazette of the Australian Mathematical SocietyTable of ContentsPreface vii Introduction ix Computation Tables xi 1 Numbers 1 2 Fractions 13 3 Operations 22 4 Simplification 55 5 Techniques and Strategies 80 6 Miscellany 121 7 Base-Based Mathematics 144 8 Judgment Day 182 Practice Solutions 209 Index 235

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Book SynopsisThe history of mathematics is filled with major breakthroughs resulting from solutions to recreational problems. Problems of interest to gamblers led to the modern theory of probability, for example, and surreal numbers were inspired by the game of Go. Yet even with such groundbreaking findings and a wealth of popular-level books exploring puzzlesTrade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 "Beineke and Rosenhouse have compiled and edited a fantastic collection of essays dealing with popular mathematics... Anybody who enjoys reading about recreation mathematics should definitely explore these writings."--ChoiceTable of ContentsForeword by Raymond Smullyan vii Preface and Acknowledgments x PART I VIGNETTES 1 Should You Be Happy? 3 Peter Winkler 2 One-Move Puzzles with Mathematical Content 11 Anany Levitin 3 Minimalist Approaches to Figurative Maze Design 29 Robert Bosch, Tim Chartier, and Michael Rowan 4 Some ABCs of Graphs and Games 43 Jennifer Beineke and Lowell Beineke PART II PROBLEMS INSPIRED BY CLASSIC PUZZLES 5 Solving the Tower of Hanoi with Random Moves 65 Max A. Alekseyev and Toby Berger 6 Groups Associated to Tetraflexagons 81 Julie Beier and Carolyn Yackel 7 Parallel Weighings of Coins 95 Tanya Khovanova 8 Analysis of Crossword Puzzle Difficulty Using a Random Graph Process 105 John K. McSweeney 9 From the Outside In: Solving Generalizations of the Slothouber-Graatsma-Conway Puzzle 127 Derek Smith PART III PLAYING CARDS 10 Gallia Est Omnis Divisa in Partes Quattuor 139 Neil Calkin and Colm Mulcahy 11 Heartless Poker 149 Dominic Lanphier and Laura Taalman 12 An Introduction to Gilbreath Numbers 163 Robert W. Vallin PART IV GAMES 13 Tic-tac-toe on Affine Planes 175 Maureen T. Carroll and Steven T. Dougherty 14 Error Detection and Correction Using SET 199 Gary Gordon and Elizabeth McMahon 15 Connection Games and Sperner's Lemma 213 David Molnar PART V FIBONACCI NUMBERS 16 The Cookie Monster Problem 231 Leigh Marie Braswell and Tanya Khovanova 17 Representing Numbers Using Fibonacci Variants 245 Stephen K. Lucas About the Editors 261 About the Contributors 263 Index 269

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Book SynopsisAn anthology of the year's finest writing on mathematics from around the world, featuring promising new voices as well as some of the foremost names in mathematics.Trade Review"[The] essays cover a broad swath of mathematics that include entertaining puzzles, complicated proofs, pedagogical philosophy, and technical discussions of mathematical problems. The pedagogical entries are both serious and light... Many of the technical articles are difficult and demand a mathematical background, other entries are well suited for readers more casual readers; the volume is intended to capture both audiences and does it well."--Publishers Weekly "Abundant diversity and some truly exceptional writing make this collection stand out."--Gretchen Kolderup, Library Journal "I would characterize the articles in the book as extreme in terms of several value functions: clarity, lucidity, instructiveness, wittiness, modern day pertinency, broad accessibility... On the whole, the book is informative and thoroughly entertaining."--Alexander Bogomolny, Cut the Knot "Written in a pleasant and alive style, with suggestive quotations and witty comments of the author (also many photos illustrating the text are made by the author), the book will be of great help for students in computer science specializing in computer vision and computer graphics. Other students who use mathematics in their disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology, economics) will find the book as a good source of rapid and reliable information."--Dana Cobza, Studia Mathematica "For those looking to broaden their knowledge of mathematics, including recent mathematical developments, this is a good option and an enjoyable read."--Frannie Worek, Math Teacher "[Pitici's] work fills a gap between expository mathematics and popular explanation. It is a welcome contribution to improving public perception of our discipline."--Phill Schultz, Australian Mathematical Society GazetteTable of ContentsIntroduction, Mircea Pitici ix Mathematics and the Good Life, Stephen Pollard 1 The Rise of Big Data: How It's Changing the Way We Think about the World, Kenneth Cukier and Viktor Mayer-Schonberger 20 Conway's Wizards, Tanya Khovanova 33 On Unsettleable Arithmetical Problems, John H. Conway 39 Color illustration section follows page 48 Crinkly Curves, Brian Hayes 49 Why Do We Perceive Logarithmically? Lav R. Varshney and John Z. Sun 64 The Music of Math Games, Keith Devlin 74 The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra for Artists, Bahman Kalantari and Bruce Torrence 87 The Arts-Digitized, Quantified, and Analyzed, Nicole Lazar 96 On the Number of Klein Bottle Types, Carlo H. Sequin 105 Adventures in Mathematical Knitting, Sarah-Marie Belcastro 128 The Mathematics of Fountain Design: A Multiple-Centers Activity, Marshall Gordon 144 Food for (Mathematical) Thought, Penelope Dunham 156 Wondering about Wonder in Mathematics, Dov Zazkis and Rina Zazkis 165 The Lesson of Grace in Teaching, Francis Edward Su 188 Generic Proving: Reflections on Scope and Method, Uri Leron and Orit Zaslavsky 198 Extreme Proofs I: The Irrationality of 2, John H. Conway and Joseph Shipman 216 Stuck in the Middle: Cauchy's Intermediate Value Theorem and the History of Analytic Rigor, Michael J. Barany 228 Plato, Poincare, and the Enchanted Dodecahedron: Is the Universe Shaped Like the Poincare Homology Sphere? Lawrence Brenton 239 Computing with Real Numbers, from Archimedes to Turing and Beyond, Mark Braverman 251 Chaos at Fifty, Adilson E. Motter and David K. Campbell 270 Twenty-Five Analogies for Explaining Statistical Concepts, Roberto Behar, Pere Grima, and Lluis Marco-Almagro 288 College Admissions and the Stability of Marriage, David Gale and Lloyd S. Shapley 299 The Beauty of Bounded Gaps, Jordan Ellenberg 308 Contributors 315 Notable Writings 325 Acknowledgments 333 Credits 335

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Book Synopsis"The book that inspired the film The imitation game."Trade ReviewA New York Times Bestseller The Imitation Game, Winner of the 2015 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Winner of the 2015 (27th) USC Libraries Scripter Award, University of Southern California Libraries One of The Guardian's Best Popular Physical Science Books of 2014, chosen by GrrlScientist "Scrupulous and enthralling."--A. O. Scott, New York Times "One of the finest scientific biographies ever written."--Jim Holt, New Yorker "Andrew Hodges' 1983 book Alan Turing: The Enigma, is the indispensable guide to Turing's life and work and one of the finest biographies of a scientific genius ever written."--Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times "Turing's rehabilitation from over a quarter-century's embarrassed silence was largely the result of Andrew Hodges's superb biography, Alan Turing: The Enigma (1983; reissued with a new introduction in 2012). Hodges examined available primary sources and interviewed surviving witnesses to elucidate Turing's multiple dimensions. A mathematician, Hodges ably explained Turing's intellectual accomplishments with insight, and situated them within their wider historical contexts. He also empathetically explored the centrality of Turing's sexual identity to his thought and life in a persuasive rather than reductive way."--Michael Saler, Times Literary Supplement "On the face of it, a richly detailed 500-page biography of a mathematical genius and analysis of his ideas, might seem a daunting proposition. But fellow mathematician and author Hodges has acutely clear and often extremely moving insight into the humanity behind the leaping genius that helped to crack the Germans' Enigma codes during World War II and bring about the dawn of the computer age... This melancholy story is transfigured into something else: an exploration of the relationship between machines and the soul and a full-throated celebration of Turing's brilliance, unselfconscious quirkiness and bravery in a hostile age."--Sinclair McKay, Wall Street Journal "A first-class contribution to history and an exemplary work of biography."--I. J. Good, Nature "An almost perfect match of biographer and subject... [A] great book."--Ray Monk, Guardian "A superb biography... Written by a mathematician, it describes in plain language Turing's work on the foundations of computer science and how he broke the Germans' Enigma code in the Second World War. The subtle depiction of class rivalries, personal relationships, and Turing's tragic end are worthy of a novel. But this was a real person. Hodges describes the man, and the science that fascinated him--which once saved, and still influences, our lives."--Margaret Boden, New Scientist "Andrew Hodges's magisterial Alan Turing: The Enigma ... is still the definitive text."--Joshua Cohen, Harper's "Andrew Hodges's biography is a meticulously researched and written account detailing every aspect of Turing's life... This account of Turing's life is a definitive scholarly work, rich in primary source documentation and small-grained historical detail."--Mathematics Teacher "Tells a powerful story that combines professional success and personal tragedy."--Nancy Szokan, Washington Post "[A] really excellent biography... The great thing about this book is that the author is a mathematician and can explain the details of Turing's work--as a scientist, mathematician, and a code breaker--in a way that is easy to understand. He is also wonderful at the emotional nuance of Alan's life, who was a somewhat odd--a student was assigned to him in school to help him maintain a semblance of tidiness in his appearance, rooms and school work and at Bletchley Park he was known for chaining his tea mug to a pipe--but he was also charming and intelligent and Hodges brings all the aspects of his personality and life into sharp focus."--Off the Shelf "This book is an incredibly detailed and meticulously researched biography of Alan Turing. Reading it is a melancholy experience, since you know from the outset that the ending is a tragic one and that knowledge overshadows you throughout. While the author divides the text into two parts, it actually reads like a play in four acts... This book is Turing's memorial, and one that does justice to the subject."--Katherine Safford-Ramus, MAA Reviews "The new paperback edition of the 1983 book that inspired the film, with an updated introduction by Oxford mathematics professor Andrew Hodges, is an exhilarating, compassionate and detailed biography of a complicated man."--Jane Ciabattari, BBC "If [The Imitation Game] does nothing else but send you, as it did me, to Alan Hodges's Alan Turing: The Enigma (1983, newly prefaced in the 2014 Princeton University Press edition) it more than justifies its existence. A great read, Hodges's intellectual biography depicts Turing as a brilliant mathematician; a crucial pioneering figure in the theorization and engineering of digital computing; and the biggest brain in Bletchley Park's Hut #8."--Amy Taubin, Artforum "It is indeed the ultimate biography of Alan Turing. It will bring you as close as possible to his enigmatic personality."--Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society "A book whose time has finally come. I found it to be a page-turner in spite of the occasionally esoteric explanations of mathematical theories that reminded of why Brooklyn Technical High School was not the wisest choice for me."--Terrance, Paris Readers Circle "Thanks to the movie The Imitation Game, Alan Turing has emerged from history's shadows, where his memory had languished for decades. For anyone whose interest in the pioneering computer scientist, mathematician, and logician was piqued by the film, the book that served as the film's source material, Andrew Hodges's exhaustive biography Alan Turing: The Enigma, has the answers."--Frank Caso, Simply CharlyTable of ContentsList of Plates ix Foreword by Douglas Hofstadter xi Preface xv PART ONE: THE LOGICAL 1 Esprit de Corps to 13 February 1930 3 2 The Spirit of Truth to 14 April 1936 60 3 New Men to 3 September 1939 141 4 The Relay Race to 10 November 1942 202 BRIDGE PASSAGE to 1 April 1943 305 PART TWO: THE PHYSICAL 5 Running Up to 2 September 1945 325 6 Mercury Delayed to 2 October 1948 394 7 The Greenwood Tree to 7 February 1952 491 8 On the Beach to 7 June 1954 574 Postscript 665 Author's Note 666 Notes 680 Acknowledgements 714 Index 715

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Book SynopsisThis is a book for those who enjoy thinking about how and why Nature can be described using mathematical tools. Approximating Perfection considers the background behind mechanics as well as the mathematical ideas that play key roles in mechanical applications. Concentrating on the models of applied mechanics, the book engages the reader in the typeTrade Review"A well-written general-interest introduction to classical mechanics."--ChoiceTable of ContentsPreface vii Chapter 1. The Tools of Calculus 1 1.1 Is Mathematical Proof Necessary? 2 1.2 Abstraction, Understanding, Infinity 6 1.3 Irrational Numbers 8 1.4 What Is a Limit? 11 1.5 Series 15 1.6 Function Continuity 19 1.7 How to Measure Length 21 1.8 Antiderivatives 33 1.9 Definite Integral 35 1.10 The Length of a Curve 42 1.11 Multidimensional Integrals 44 1.12 Approximate Integration 47 1.13 On the Notion of a Function 52 1.14 Differential Equations 53 1.15 Optimization 59 1.16 Petroleum Exploration and Recovery 61 1.17 Complex Variables 63 1.18 Moving On 65 Chapter 2. The Mechanics of Continua 67 2.1 Why Do Ships Float? 67 2.2 The Main Notions of Classical Mechanics 71 2.3 Forces, Vectors, and Objectivity 74 2.4 More on Forces; Statics 76 2.5 Hooke's Law 80 2.6 Bending of a Beam 84 2.7 Stress Tensor 94 2.8 Principal Axes and Invariants of the Stress Tensor 100 2.9 On the Continuum Model and Limit Passages 102 2.10 Equilibrium Equations 104 2.11 The Strain Tensor 108 2.12 Generalized Hooke's Law 113 2.13 Constitutive Laws 114 2.14 Boundary Value Problems 115 2.15 Setup of Boundary Value Problems of Elasticity 118 2.16 Existence and Uniqueness of Solution 120 2.17 Energy; Minimal Principle for a Spring 126 2.18 Energy in Linear Elasticity 128 2.19 Dynamic Problems of Elasticity 132 2.20 Oscillations of a String 134 2.21 Lagrangian and Eulerian Descriptions of Continuum Media 137 2.22 The Equations of Hydrodynamics 140 2.23 D'Alembert-Euler Equation of Continuity 142 2.24 Some Other Models of Hydrodynamics 144 2.25 Equilibrium of an Ideal Incompressible Liquid 145 2.26 Force on an Obstacle 148 Chapter 3. Elements of the Strength of Materials 151 3.1 What Are the Problems of the Strength of Materials? 151 3.2 Hooke's Law Revisited 152 3.3 Objectiveness of Quantities in Mechanics Revisited 157 3.4 Plane Elasticity 159 3.5 Saint-Venant's Principle 161 3.6 Stress Concentration 163 3.7 Linearity vs. Nonlinearity 165 3.8 Dislocations, Plasticity, Creep, and Fatigue 166 3.9 Heat Transfer 172 3.10 Thermoelasticity 175 3.11 Thermal Expansion 177 3.12 A Few Words on the History of Thermodynamics 178 3.13 Thermodynamics of an Ideal Gas 180 3.14 Thermodynamics of a Linearly Elastic Rod 182 3.15 Stability 186 3.16 Static Stability of a Straight Beam 188 3.17 Dynamical Tools for Studying Stability 193 3.18 Additional Remarks on Stability 195 3.19 Leak Prevention 198 Chapter 4. Some Questions of Modeling in the Natural Sciences 201 4.1 Modeling and Simulation 201 4.2 Computerization and Modeling 203 4.3 Numerical Methods and Modeling in Mechanics 206 4.4 Complexity in the Real World 208 4.5 The Role of the Cosine in Everyday Measurements 209 4.6 Accuracy and Precision 211 4.7 How Trees Stand Up against the Wind 213 4.8 Why King Kong Cannot Be as Terrible as in the Movies 216 Afterword 219 Recommended Reading 221 Index 223

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Book SynopsisThe interest earned on a bank account, the arrangement of seeds in a sunflower, and the shape of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis are all intimately connected with the mysterious number e. In this informal and engaging history, Eli Maor portrays the curious characters and the elegant mathematics that lie behind the number. Designed for a reader with oTrade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 1994 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Mathematics, Association of American Publishers "This is a gently paced, elegantly composed book, and it will bring its readers much pleasure... Maor has written an excellent book that should be in every public and school library."--Ian Stewart, New Scientist "Maor wonderfully tells the story of e. The chronological history allows excursions into the lives of people involved with the development of this fascinating number. Maor hangs his story on a string of people stretching from Archimedes to David Hilbert. And by presenting mathematics in terms of the humans who produced it, he places the subject where it belongs--squarely in the centre of the humanities."--Jerry P. King, Nature "Maor has succeeded in writing a short, readable mathematical story. He has interspersed a variety of anecdotes, excursions, and essays to lighten the flow... [The book] is like the voyages of Columbus as told by the first mate."--Peter Borwein, Science "Maor attempts to give the irrational number e its rightful standing alongside pi as a fundamental constant in science and nature; he succeeds very well... Maor writes so that both mathematical newcomers and long-time professionals alike can thoroughly enjoy his book, learn something new, and witness the ubiquity of mathematical ideas in Western culture."--Choice "It can be recommended to readers who want to learn about mathematics and its history, who want to be inspired and who want to understand important mathematical ideas more deeply."--EMS Newsletter "[A] very interesting story about the history of e, logarithms, and related matters, especially the history of calculus... [A] useful complement to a course in calculus and analysis, shedding light on some fundamental topics."--Mehdi Hassani, MAA ReviewsTable of ContentsPreface1John Napier, 161432Recognition113Financial Matters234To the Limit, If It Exists285Forefathers of the Calculus406Prelude to Breakthrough497Squaring the Hyperbola588The Birth of a New Science709The Great Controversy8310e[superscript x]: The Function That Equals its Own Derivative9811e[superscript theta]: Spira Mirabilis11412(e[superscript x] + e[superscript -x])/2: The Hanging Chain14013e[superscript ix]: "The Most Famous of All Formulas"15314e[superscript x + iy]: The Imaginary Becomes Real16415But What Kind of Number Is It?183App. 1. Some Additional Remarks on Napier's Logarithms195App. 2. The Existence of lim (1 + 1/n)[superscript n] as n [approaches] [infinity]197App. 3. A Heuristic Derivation of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus200App. 4. The Inverse Relation between lim (b[superscript h] - 1)/h = 1 and lim (1 + h)[superscript 1/h] = b as h [approaches] 0202App. 5. An Alternative Definition of the Logarithmic Function203App. 6. Two Properties of the Logarithmic Spiral205App. 7. Interpretation of the Parameter [phi] in the Hyperbolic Functions208App. 8. e to One Hundred Decimal Places211Bibliography213Index217

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Making and Breaking Mathematical Sense] offers a substantial and interesting treatment of issues in the philosophy of mathematical practice."--Calvin Jongsma, MAA ReviewsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi Introduction 1 What Philosophy of Mathematics Is Today 1 What Else Philosophy of Mathematics Can Be 3 A Vignette: Option Pricing and the Black-Scholes Formula 6 Outline of This Book 10 1: Histories of Philosophies of Mathematics 13 History 1: On What There Is, Which Is a Tension between Natural Order and Conceptual Freedom 14 History 2: The Kantian Matrix, Which Grants Mathematics a Constitutive Intermediary Epistemological Position 22 History 3: Monster Barring, Monster Taming, and Living with Mathematical Monsters 28 History 4: Authority, or Who Gets to Decide What Mathematics Is About 33 The "Yes, Please!" Philosophy of Mathematics 37 2: The New Entities of Abbacus and Renaissance Algebra 39 Abbacus and Renaissance Algebraists 39 The Emergence of the Sign of the Unknown 40 First Intermediary Reflection 45 The Arithmetic of Debited Values 46 Second Intermediary Reflection 51 False and Sophistic Entities 53 Final Reflection and Conclusion 56 3: A Constraints-Based Philosophy of Mathematical Practice 59 Dismotivation 59 The Analytic A Posteriori 63 Consensus 67 Interpretation 72 Reality 81 Constraints 84 Relevance 90 Conclusion 97 4: Two Case Studies of Semiosis in Mathematics 100 Ambiguous Variables in Generating Functions 101 Between Formal Interpretations 101 Models and Applications 107 Openness to Interpretation 109 Gendered Signs in a Combinatorial Problem 112 The Problem 112 Gender Role Stereotypes and Mathematical Results 116 Mathematical Language and Its Reality 120 The Forking Paths of Mathematical Language 122 5: Mathematics and Cognition 128 The Number Sense 129 Mathematical Metaphors 137 Some Challenges to the Theory of Mathematical Metaphors 142 Best Fit for Whom? 143 What Is a Conceptual Domain? 146 In Which Direction Does the Theory Go? 150 So How Should We Think about Mathematical Metaphors? 154 An Alternative Neural Picture 156 Another Vision of Mathematical Cognition 163 From Diagrams to Haptic Vision 164 Haptic Vision in Practice 171 6: Mathematical Metaphors Gone Wild 177 What Passes between Algebra and Geometry 177 Piero della Francesca (Italy, Fifteenth Century) 178 Omar Khayyam (Central Asia, Eleventh Century) 179 Rene Descartes (France, Seventeenth Century) 181 Rafael Bombelli (Italy, Sixteenth Century) 183 Conclusion 187 A Garden of Infinities 188 Limits 189 Infinitesimals and Actual Infinities 194 7: Making a World, Mathematically 199 Fichte 201 Schelling 206 Hermann Cohen 209 The Unreasonable(?) Applicability of Mathematics 213 Bibliography 219 Index 233

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Book SynopsisCopyright 2017 by Princeton University Press.Trade Review"[This book] is beautiful in that just about every problem could be explained to anybody with almost no mathematics background at all, but the methods of solving them take you deeply into many complex areas of mathematics. The books gathers together problems which pop up through what one might consider 'silly' or 'frivolous' questions, but which lead to new ways of thinking and have applications in enormously wide-ranging areas of mathematics."---Jonathan Shock, Mathemafrica"The editors once again have brought together an extraordinary list of authors to produce nineteen engaging papers, split into five groups: puzzles and brainteasers, geometry and topology, graph theory, games of chance, and computational complexity. . . . It is often deeply challenging mathematically and, as a result, all the more fun. Each reader will find chapters that appeal to them." * MAA Reviews *"In the second volume of this engaging series, Beineke . . . and Rosenhouse . . . deliver another fantastic collection of essays dealing with popular mathematics. . . . Anyone who enjoys reading about recreational mathematics will find plenty to enjoy and discover in this second volume." * Choice *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Mazur (Euclid in the Rainforest) gives readers the fascinating history behind the mathematical symbols we use, and completely take for granted, every day. Mathematical notation turns numbers into sentences--or, to the uninitiated, a mysterious and impenetrable code. Mazur says the story of math symbols begins some 3,700 years ago, in ancient Babylon, where merchants incised tallies of goods on cuneiform tablets, along with the first place holder--a blank space. Many early cultures used letters for both numbers and an alphabet, but convenient objects like rods, fingers, and abacus beads, also proved popular. Mazur shows how our 'modern' system began in India, picking up the numeral 'zero' on its way to Europe, where it came into common use in the 16th century, thanks to travelers and merchants as well as mathematicians like Fibonacci. Signs for addition, subtraction, roots, and equivalence followed, but only became standardized through the influence of scientists and mathematicians like Rene Descartes and Gottfried Leibniz. Mazur's lively and accessible writing makes what could otherwise be a dry, arcane history as entertaining as it is informative."--Publishers Weekly "[A] fascinating narrative... This is a nuanced, intelligently framed chronicle packed with nuggets--such as the fact that Hindus, not Arabs, introduced Arabic numerals. In a word: enlightening."--George Szpiro, Nature "Mazur begins by illustrating how the ancient Incas and Mayans managed to write specific, huge numbers. Then, for more than 200 pages, he traces the history of division signs, square roots, pi, exponents, graph axes and other symbols in the context of cognition, communication, and analysis."--Washington Post "Mazur delivers a solid exposition of an element of mathematics that is fundamental to its history."--Library Journal "Mazur treats only a subset of F. Cajori's monumental A History of Mathematical Notation (Dover, 1993 first edition 1922) and there is overlap with many other mathematical history books, but Mazur adds new findings and insights and it is so much more entertaining ... and these features make it an interesting addition to the existing literature for anybody with only a slight interest in mathematics or its history."--European Mathematical Society "Symbols like '+' and '=' are so ingrained that it's hard to conceive of math without them. But a new book, Enlightening Symbols: A Short History of Mathematical Notation and its Hidden Power, offers a surprising reminder: Until the early 16th century, math contained no symbols at all."--Kevin Hartnett, Boston Globe "Enlightening Symbols retraces the winding road that has led to the way we now teach, study, and conceive mathematics... Thanks to Mazur's playful approach to the subject, Enlightening Symbols offers an enjoyable read."--Gaia Donati, Science "If you enjoy reading about history, languages and science, then you'll enjoy this book... The best part is the writing is compelling enough that you don't have to be a mathematician to enjoy this informative book."--Guardian.com's GrrlScientist blog "[I]nformative, highly readable and scholarly."--Brian Rotman, Literary Review "[T]his insightful account of the historical development of a highly characteristic feature of the mathematical enterprise also represents a valuable contribution to our understanding of the nature of mathematics."--Eduard Glas, Mathematical Reviews Clippings "Joseph Mazur's beautiful book Enlightening Symbols tells the story of human civilization through the development of mathematical notation. Surprises abound... The book is visually exquisite, great care having been taken with illustrations and figures. Mazur's discussion of the emergence of particular symbols affords the reader an overview of the often difficult primary literature."--Donal O'Shea, Sarasota Herald-Tribune "At whatever depth one chooses to read it, Enlightening Symbols has something for everyone. It is entertaining and eclectic, and Mazur's personal and easy style helps connect us with those who led the long and winding search for the best ways to quantify and analyze our world. Their success has liberated us from 'the shackles of our physical impressions of space'--and of the particular and the concrete--'enabling imagination to wander far beyond the tangible world we live in, and into the marvels of generality.'"--Robyn Arianrhod, Notices of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society "Mazur introduces the reader to major characters, weaves in relevant aspects of wider culture and gives a feel for the breadth of mathematical history. It is a useful book for both student and interested layperson alike."--Mark McCartney, London Mathematical Society "[T]his is a good book. It is well written by an experienced author and is full of interesting facts about how the symbols used in mathematics have arisen. It would certainly interest anyone who studies the history of mathematics."--Phil Dyke, Leonardo "Mazur is a master story teller."--John Stillwell, Bulletin of the American Mathematical SocietyTable of ContentsIntroduction ix Definitions xxi Note on the Illustrations xxiii Part 1 Numerals 1 1. Curious Beginnings 3 2. Certain Ancient Number Systems 10 3. Silk and Royal Roads 26 4. The Indian Gift 35 5. Arrival in Europe 51 6. The Arab Gift 60 7. Liber Abbaci 64 8. Refuting Origins 73 Part 2 Algebra 81 9. Sans Symbols 85 10. Diophantus's Arithmetica 93 11. The Great Art 109 12. Symbol Infancy 116 13. The Timid Symbol 127 14. Hierarchies of Dignity 133 15. Vowels and Consonants 141 16. The Explosion 150 17. A Catalogue of Symbols 160 18. The Symbol Master 165 19. The Last of the Magicians 169 Part 3 The Power of Symbols 177 20. Rendezvous in the Mind 179 21. The Good Symbol 189 22. Invisible Gorillas 192 23. Mental Pictures 210 24. Conclusion 216 Appendix A Leibniz's Notation 221 Appendix B Newton's Fluxion of xn 223 Appendix C Experiment 224 Appendix D Visualizing Complex Numbers 228 Appendix E Quaternions 230 Acknowledgments 233 Notes 235 Index 269

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In his jaunty book Finding Fibonacci, Keith Devlin sets out to tell the elusive story of the 13th-century mathematician Leonardo of Pisa."--James Ryerson, New York Times Book Review "Devlin leads a cheerful pursuit to rediscover the hero of 13th-century European mathematics, taking readers across centuries and through the back streets of medieval and modern Italy in this entertaining and surprising history... Devlin relates Leonardo's adventures with brio and charm. Readers will enjoy this deft and engaging mix of history, mathematics, and personal travelogue."--Publishers Weekly "Finding Fibonacci showcases Devlin's writerly flair. My favourite passages are the incredible story of how Liber Abaci (or at least, the edition he wrote in 1228, the sole surviving one) became available in English for the first time - to this day the only modern-language translation."--Davide Castelvecchi, Nature "[Devlin] talks his way into Italian research libraries in search of early manuscripts, photographs all 11 street signs on Via Leonardo Fibonacci in Florence and strives to cultivate a love for numbers in his readers."--Andrea Marks, Scientific American "Finding Fibonacci [does] much to restore Leonardo to his proper place in contemporary Western culture."--Dan Friedman, Los Angeles Review of Books "[E]ngaging and entertaining."--Library Journal "A charming new book."--Martijn van Calmthout, de Volkskrant "All in all a book to be recommended. If you already read The Man of Numbers it is most informative to read this 'behind the scenes' version and know how it came about (and what happened after its publication). If you didn't know The Man of Numbers, you at least get a summary of what is in there too. Only it is told in a much more personal and lively version."--Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society "[A] good beach read for the nerdier among us."--Math FrolicTable of ContentsPrelude Sputnik and Calculus 1 1 The Flood Plain 5 2 The Manuscript 18 3 First Steps 35 4 The Statue 42 5 A Walk along the Pisan Riverbank 56 6 A Very Boring Book? 64 7 Franci 72 8 Publishing Fibonacci: From the Cloister to Amazon.com 85 9 Translation 97 10 Reading Fibonacci 116 11 Manuscript Hunting, Part I (Failures) 138 12 Manuscript Hunting, Part II (Success at Last) 151 13 The Missing Link 167 14 This Will Change the World 181 15 Leonardo and the Birth of Modern Finance 192 16 Reflections in a Medieval Mirror 213 Appendix Guide to the Chapters of Liber abbaci 228 Bibliography 236 Index 239

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of Amazon.com's 2013 Best Science Books One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 Honorable Mention for the 2013 PROSE Award in Popular Science & Mathematics, Association of American Publishers "As Fortnow describes... P versus NP is 'one of the great open problems in all of mathematics' not only because it is extremely difficult to solve but because it has such obvious practical applications. It is the dream of total ease, of the confidence that there is an efficient way to calculate nearly everything, 'from cures to deadly diseases to the nature of the universe,' even 'an algorithmic process to recognize greatness.'... To postulate that P ? NP, as Fortnow does, is to allow for a world of mystery, difficulty, and frustration--but also of discovery and inquiry, of pleasures pleasingly delayed."--Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker "Fortnow effectively initiates readers into the seductive mystery and importance of P and NP problems."--Publishers Weekly "Fortnow's book is just the ticket for bringing one of the major theoretical problems of our time to the level of the average citizen--and yes, that includes elected officials."--Veit Elser, Science "Without bringing formulas or computer code into the narrative, Fortnow sketches the history of this class of questions, convincingly demonstrates their surprising equivalence, and reveals some of the most far-reaching implications that a proof of P = NP would bring about. These might include tremendous advances in biotechnology (for instance, more cures for cancer), information technology, and even the arts. Verdict: Through story and analogy, this relatively slim volume manages to provide a thorough, accessible explanation of a deep mathematical question and its myriad consequences. An engaging, informative read for a broad audience."--J.J.S. Boyce, Library Journal "A provocative reminder of the real-world consequences of a theoretical enigma."--Booklist "The definition of this problem is tricky and technical, but in The Golden Ticket, Lance Fortnow cleverly sidesteps the issue with a boiled-down version. P is the collection of problems we can solve quickly, NP is the collection of problems we would like to solve. If P = NP, computers can answer all the questions we pose and our world is changed forever. It is an oversimplification, but Fortnow, a computer scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, knows his stuff and aptly illustrates why NP problems are so important."--Jacob Aron, New Scientist "Fortnow's book does a fine job of showing why the tantalizing question is an important one, with implications far beyond just computer science."--Rob Hardy, Commercial Dispatch "A great book... [Lance Fortnow] has written precisely the book about P vs. NP that the interested layperson or IT professional wants and needs."--Scott Aaronson, Shtetl-Optimized blog "[The Golden Ticket] is a book on a technical subject aimed at a general audience... Lance's mix of technical accuracy with evocative story telling works."--Michael Trick, Michael Trick's Operations Research Blog "Thoroughly researched and reviewed. Anyone from a smart high school student to a computer scientist is sure to get a lot of this book. The presentation is beautiful. There are few formulas but lots of facts."--Daniel Lemire's Blog "An entertaining discussion of the P versus NP problem."--Andrew Binstock, Dr. Dobb's "The Golden Ticketis an extremely accessible and enjoyable treatment of the most important question of theoretical computer science, namely whether P is equal to NP."--Choice "The book is accessible and useful for practically anyone from smart high school students to specialists... [P]erhaps the interest sparked by this book will be the 'Golden Ticket' for further accessible work in this area. And perhaps P=NP will start to become as famous as E=mc2."--Michael Trick, INFORMS Journal of Computing "In any case, it is excellent to have a nontechnical book about the P versus NP question. The Golden Ticket offers an inspiring introduction for nontechnical readers to what is surely the most important open problem in computer science."--Leslie Ann Goldberg, LMS Newsletter "The Golden Ticket does a good job of explaining a complex concept in terms that a secondary-school student will understand--a hard problem in its own right, even if not quite NP."--Physics World "[The Golden Ticket] is fun to read and can be fully appreciated without any knowledge in (theoretical) computer science. Fortnow's efforts to make the difficult material accessible to non-experts should be commended."--Andreas Maletti, Zentralblatt MATH "This is a fabulous book for both educators and students at the secondary school level and above. It does not require any particular mathematical knowledge but, rather, the ability to think. Enjoy the world of abstract ideas as you experience an intriguing journey through mathematical thinking."--Gail Kaplan, Mathematics Teacher "Fortnow's book provides much of the background and personal information on the main characters involved in this problem--notably Steven Cook, with a cameo appearance by Kurt Godel--that one does not get in the more technical treatments. There is a lot of information in this book, and the serious computer science student is sure to learn from it."--James M. Cargal, UMAP JournalTable of ContentsPreface ix Chapter 1 The Golden Ticket 1 Chapter 2 The Beautiful World 11 Chapter 3 P and NP 29 Chapter 4 The Hardest Problems in NP 51 Chapter 5 The Prehistory of P versus NP 71 Chapter 6 Dealing with Hardness 89 Chapter 7 Proving P <> NP 109 Chapter 8 Secrets 123 Chapter 9 Quantum 143 Chapter 10 The Future 155 Acknowledgments 163 Chapter Notes and Sources 165 Index 171

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 2015 PROSE Award in Popular Science & Popular Mathematics, Association of American Publishers "A book that stimulates the mind as well as the eye."--Scientific American "The combination of art and exposition was quite effective. The writing is accessible to most reasonably well-educated laypeople, and I imagine that many such people would derive considerable pleasure dipping into this attractive and interesting book."--Mark Hunacek, MAA Reviews "Eli Maor's lively writing benefits in equal parts from the geometry of ancient Greece and the eye-popping images conjured by artist Eugen Jost."--Bill Cannon, Scientist's Bookshelf "Graphic illustrations serve as both beautiful abstract art and helpful explanations in this overview of geometric theorems and patterns."--Science News "[Beautiful Geometry] achieves its aim to demonstrate that there is visual beauty in Mathematics. I heartily recommend it."--LSE Review of Books "The explanations are clear, and cover the background to the paintings in a manner that will be appreciated by readers whatever their level of mathematical knowledge... Anyone with any interest in visual mathematics will love this book."--Times Higher Education "A good-looking, large-format book suitable for the coffee table, but with lots of mathematical ideas packed in among the colorful illustrations... [A] handsome book for browsing and for some deep thought, and would be a superb gift for anyone (especially a young person) who has interest in mathematics."--Rob Hardy, Columbus Dispatch "It is a handsome book for browsing and for some deep thought, and would be a superb gift for anyone (especially a young person) who has interest in mathematics."--Rob Hardy, Dispatch "The book by Maor and Jost should be given to everyone--young or old--embarking on the study of mathematics or anyone teaching mathematics. The book will act as a source of inspiration and as a reminder of why it is that mathematics has fascinated the human race for millennia."--Henrik Jeldtoft Jensen, LMS Newsletter "The content is accessible to anyone with even a high school course in geometry. The writing is very clear."--Choice "Clear and lively... The mathematics in this book is first-rate, but the real surprise is how well the art reflects and illuminates the topic at hand... All of it is lovely to look at... [Beautiful Geometry] rises to the level of a coffee-table art book, only with a lot more depth."--Mathematical Reviews "[E]erily captivating book... Maor's style of writing is conversational, and the writing is engaging."--Annalisa Crannell, Journal of Mathematics and the Arts "At a very reasonable price, this is a book which would grace the coffee-table of any mathematics department, and many of the ideas in it will stimulate valuable discussions in the classroom."--Gerry Leversha, Mathematical Gazette "It presents as a coffee-table book for mathematicians and would be a good addition to a classroom library, available for students of all ages to explore."--Susan Mielechowsky, Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School "Visually stunning... [Beautiful Geometry] raises fundamental questions, answered thousands of years later and evidencing the progress made... This is an engaging book of broad appeal and a colourful approach to the history of geometry."--Mathematics TodayTable of ContentsPrefaces ix 1.Thales of Miletus 1 2.Triangles of Equal Area 3 3.Quadrilaterals 6 4.Perfect Numbers and Triangular Numbers 9 5.The Pythagorean Theorem I

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Nahin includes gems from all over mathematics, ranging from engineering applications to beautiful pure-mathematical identities... It would be good to have more books like this."--Timothy Gowers, Nature "Nahin's tale of the formula e[pi] i+1=0, which links five of the most important numbers in mathematics, is remarkable. With a plethora of historical and anecdotal material and a knack for linking events and facts, he gives the reader a strong sense of what drove mathematicians like Euler."--Matthew Killeya, New Scientist "It is very difficult to sum up the greatness of Euler... This excellent book goes a long way to explaining the kind of mathematician he really was."--Steve Humble, Mathematics Today "What a treasure of a book this is! This is the fourth enthusiastic, informative, and delightful book Paul Nahin has written about the beauties of various areas of mathematics... This book is a marvelous tribute to Euler's genius and those who built upon it and would make a great present for students of mathematics, physics, and engineering and their professors."--Henry Ricardo, MAA Reviews "The heart and soul of the book are the final three chapters on Fourier series, Fourier integrals, and related engineering. One can recommend them to all applied math students for their historical development and sensible content."--Robert E. O'Malley, Jr., SIAM Review "This is a book for mathematicians who enjoy historically motivated mathematical explanations on a high mathematical level."--Eberhard Knobloch, Mathematical Reviews "It is a 'popular' book, written for a general reader with some mathematical background equivalent to a first-year undergraduate course in the UK."--Robin Wilson, London Mathematical Society NewsletterTable of Contents*FrontMatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. ix*Preface to the Paperback Edition, pg. xiii*Preface, pg. xxix*Introduction, pg. 1*Chapter 1. Complex Numbers, pg. 13*Chapter 2. Vector Trips, pg. 68*Chapter 3. The Irrationality of pi2, pg. 92*Chapter 4. Fourier Series, pg. 114*Chapter 5. Fourier Integrals, pg. 188*Chapter 6. Electronics and -1, pg. 275*Euler: The Man and the Mathematical Physicist, pg. 324*Notes, pg. 347*Acknowledgments, pg. 375*Index, pg. 377

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"If you are not familiar with this relatively new research about the foundations and and minimal assumptions needed to develop the massive mathematical structure, this provides a good informal guideline."---Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society"John Stillwell’s book gives a clear and engaging introduction to an intriguing area of mathematics: reverse mathematics."---Martyn Prigmore, Mathematics Today"The book is rich in examples and historical perspectives, is clearly argued and immaculately presented."---Graham Hoare, Mathematical Gazette

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Computer scientist Steiglitz examines the global transformation from analog to digital and the ways it changed how we calculate, communicate and entertain ourselves. He describes the nuts and bolts of taking something analog, such as waves traveling through the air that make sound, and converting them into 0s and 1s, all in witty and cogent language."---Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American"This is an engaging and enjoyable book. Readers interested in the differences between analogue and digital approaches to computation and signal processing will not find a better popular treatment."---Thomas Haigh, Nature Electronics"Reading this book was a great pleasure and there is lots to be effusive about. . . .this book deserves to be read by everyone interested in, or influenced by, modern digital technologies. When you think about it, this is pretty much everyone. So, in this reviewer's opinion, this book is destined to become a modern classic."---Rob Ashmore, Mathematics Today

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The yeast of the story has been told already many times, but it has never been told like Toscano does in this book."---Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society"The cubic formula will always be beyond my grasp . . . but the story of its discovery and of the men who battled over it, so memorably recounted in The Secret Formula, is one I am glad to know."---Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe"Toscano weaves together his sources deftly to make the story as lively and exciting as a novel, with mathematics an organic part of the tale."---Daniel J. Curtin, MAA Reviews"Toscano is able to provide a realistic and accurate view that captures the complexity of the story of the cubic formula and the very different mathematical practices of this time. Anyone interested in learning about the history of mathematics will likely find it an interesting and informative read."---Patrick Love, London Mathematical Society Newsletter

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The field has been due for a general treatment accessible to undergraduates and to mathematicians in other areas. . . . With Reverse Mathematics, John Stillwell provides exactly that kind of introduction."—Carl Mummert, Notices of the American Mathematical Society"Stillwell carefully situates the field in the broader context of the history of mathematics and its foundations, and does a fine job of making the whole endeavor accessible to a general mathematical audience."—Jeremy Avigad, Carnegie Mellon University"Filling an important niche, this book gives readers a good picture of the basics of reverse mathematics while suggesting several directions for further reading and study."—Denis Hirschfeldt, University of Chicago"Stillwell's book is self-contained and includes much background material in analysis, mathematical logic, combinatorics, and computability. I heartily commend this very readable and accessible book."—Stephen Simpson, Vanderbilt University

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An excellent book; its accurate historical and pedagogical purpose offers an accessible read for historians and mathematicians."---Raffaele Pisano, Metascience"Well written and engaging with a wealth of useful material and a substantial bibliography for further reading, this book is a valuable resource for anyone with a serious interest in the history of algebra. With Taming the Unknown, Victor Katz and Karen Parshall have created a comprehensive synthesis of recent research on the subject, accessible to mathematicians, historians of mathematics and anyone involved in the teaching of algebra."---Adrian Rice, BSHM Bulletin"The authors have . . . pitched their writing perfectly for their intended audience. The broad outline of the story is expressed in clear prose, combined with a judicious use of that other ‘native tongue' of the college mathematics graduate, symbolic algebra. . . . There is an extensive bibliography presenting the more detailed historical research that has been carried out. . . . You could base a really nice third-year course on this book."---John Hannah, Aestimatio

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Nahin’s style is entertaining, directly addressing his readers. . . . Highly recommended."---Adhemar Bultheel, MAA Reviews"This book will be both enjoyable and a rich source of useful as well as intriguing information to a wide range of readers."---Michael Th. Rassias, zbMATH Open"I thoroughly enjoyed this book!"---Jonathan Shock, Mathemafrica.org"N/A"---Andrew Simoson, The Mathematical Intelligencer

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is not your father’s – or grandfather’s – standard collection of conic sections."---Jim Stein, New Books Network"Undoubtedly [this book], written in the same entertaining unmistakable style of the author and containing a lot of information - mathematical, historical and general - will attract, as the previous ones, a large audience."---S. Cobzas, Studia Mathematica"What a beautiful book!"---Jonathan Shock, Mathemafrica.org"A wonderful addition to libraries where the mathematically curious find their reading." * Choice *"Havil’s narrative for each curve is a cornucopia of fun facts and rigorous explanation."---Andrew J. Simoson, Mathematical Intelligencer"Overall, the book was a delight to read. The writing is witty and entertaining, the history is at times peculiar and surprising, and the mathematics is rich and engaging. It would make a fine addition to a classroom bookcase or home coffee table, but while there are plenty of elegant diagrams and intriguing stories to give every curious reader the chance to glimpse mathematical beauty, only those with the ability to dig beneath the surface will understand just how much beauty this book has to offer."---Samuel Hewitt, Mathematical Gazette

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