Popular and recreational mathematics Books
HarperCollins Publishers Why do Buses Come in Threes?: The hidden
Book Synopsis An entertaining guide to how maths is relevant to our everyday lives. Why is it better to buy a lottery ticket on Friday? Why are showers always too hot or too cold? And which classic puzzle was destroyed by Allied bombing in the war? These and many other questions are answers in this entertaining and highly informative book. Why do Buses Come in Threes? is for anyone who wants to remind themselves – or discover for the first time – that maths is relevant to almost everything we do. Dating, cooking, travelling by car, gambling and life-saving techniques all have links with intriguing mathematical problems that you will find explained here – including the odd coincidence of 4 July, the exponential growth of Australian rabbits and a surprising formula for running in the rain without getting wet. Whether you have a degree in astrophysics or haven't touched maths since you left school, this book will change the way you view the world around you.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Times Fiendish Su Doku Book 1
Book SynopsisChallenge yourself at home with word and number puzzlesA collection of 200 previously unpublished Fiendish Su Doku puzzles. Perfect for the expert solver in need of a constant supply of ultra-difficult puzzles. Guaranteed to provide hours of absorbing, brain-stretching entertainment.Since the first Su Doku puzzle appeared in The Times in November 2004, they have become a phenomenon, with over 4 million copies of The Times Su Doku books sold worldwide. You don''t need to be a mathematical genius to solve these puzzles; it is simply a question of logic. Each puzzle has a unique solution and there''s no guesswork required.The Times Su Doku remains the original, the best and the market leader. The puzzles are provided by Wayne Gould, the man who started it all.
£7.59
HarperCollins Publishers The Times Killer Su Doku 2
Book SynopsisChallenge yourself at home with word and number puzzlesBeware: The Times Killer Su Doku gets about as close as possible to the label unputdownable'. In Book 2, the challenge continues with the emphasis on the tougher and more deadly puzzles. Prepare to be rattled.Killer Su Doku takes the number placing puzzle to the next level by adding an element of arithmetic. One cannot rely on logic alone. The puzzle uses the same 9x9 grid but there is a double test. The aim is not only to complete every row, column and cube so that it contains the digits 1-9, the numbers within a second dotted-line grid have to add up to a specific total.Included are some Gentle and Moderate puzzles to serve as a warm-up but the emphasis is on the Tricky, Tough and Deadly levels. The word ''fiendish'' doesn''t even come close!
£7.59
HarperCollins Publishers The Times Holiday Su Doku
Book Synopsis200 of the original number-placing puzzles.
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers The Times Su Doku Book 8
Book SynopsisQuiz your family at home with crosswords, puzzles and games. The eighth instalment of the best-selling Times Su Doku series to feed the nation’s desire for yet more Su Doku puzzles.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Times Su Doku Book 9 150 original puzzles
Book SynopsisQuiz your family at home with crosswords, puzzles and games. This ninth instalment of the best-selling Times Su Doku series to feed the nation's desire for yet more Su Doku puzzles.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Times Su Doku Book 11
Book SynopsisQuiz your family at home with crosswords, puzzles and games.The eleventh instalment of the bestselling Times Su Doku series.Su Doku is the biggest craze to hit The Times since the first crossword was published in 1930. From obscure origins, the wordless puzzle is now the hottest challenge to readers of The Times and has generated huge interest.The Times Su Doku Book 10 contains 150 mind-bending variations ranging from mercifully Mild to the uber-challenging Super fiendish:10 Mild puzzles60 Difficult puzzles50 Fiendish puzzles30 Super fiendishThe Times continue to offer superior Su Doku puzzles from their suppliers, Puzzler Media Syndication, that will put your logic to the ultimate test.The Times continue to offer superior Su Doku puzzles from their suppliers, Sudoku Syndication, that will put your logic to the ultimate test.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Times Killer Su Doku Book 8
Book SynopsisChallenge yourself at home with word and number puzzlesThe newest volume in the hugely popular Killer Su Doku series from the puzzles suppliers to the Times, featuring the highest-quality puzzles with an extra element of arithmetic.This eigth addition to the successful Times Killer Su Doku series will test your skills to the limit, adding the challenge of arithmetic and taking Su Doku to a new and even deadlier level of difficulty.The puzzles use the same 9x9 grid as Su Doku but with an added mathematical challenge. The aim is not only to complete every row, column and cube so that it contains the digits 1-9, it is also necessary to ensure that the outlined cubes add up to the same number as well.With 150 new Moderate, Tough and Deadly Killer Su Doku puzzles, there is no chance to ease yourself in with Easy puzzles. For those who like to live dangerously and pushbeyond their mental comfort zone, steel yourself for The Times'' next, terribly tough instalment.
£7.59
HarperCollins Publishers Coffee Break Su Doku book 1 200 puzzles Collins
Book SynopsisQuiz your family at home with crosswords, puzzles and games. Stretch your powers of logical deduction with these 200 new Su Doku puzzles, in easy, medium and difficult categories.
£9.97
HarperCollins Publishers The Times Super Fiendish Su Doku Book 6
Book SynopsisChallenge yourself at home with word and number puzzlesThese are previously unpublished quality Su Doku grids from The Times, and help to develop you to take on Extreme Su Doku.The 200 puzzles in this collection of treacherously difficult puzzles will stretch even the most advanced Su Doku enthusiast. You will need to use all of your best solving techniques to get to the end of this testing challenge.The puzzles in the collection are of the highest quality and are perfect for the advanced solver in need of a constant supply of ultra-difficult puzzles.Guaranteed to provide hours of mind-stretching entertainment.
£7.59
Vintage Publishing Birth of a Theorem
Book SynopsisCédric Villani is a French mathematician who has received many international awards for his work including the Jacques Herbrand Prize, the Prize of the European Mathematical Society, the Fermat Prize and the Henri Poincaré Prize.In 2010 he was awarded the Fields Medal, the International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, for his work on Landau damping and the Boltzmann equation. Often called the mathematicians' Nobel Prize', it is awarded every four years and is viewed by some as the highest honour a mathematician can achieve.He is a professor at Lyon University and Director of the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris, working primarily on partial differential equations and mathematical physics.Trade ReviewCombining poetry, music and formidable sleuthing, the charismatic Cédric Villani skilfully unfolds the complex yet wondrous world of mathematics. Birth of a Theorem inspires and entertains! -- Patti SmithCédric Villani’s BIRTH OF A THEOREM is like no other book about maths: an unfiltered view into the daily life, and the soul, of a great mathematician, as he approaches and finally conquers a major result -- Jordan EllenbergThis man could plainly do for mathematics what Brian Cox has done for physics…. [Birth of a Theorem] is one of the most peculiar and entertaining science books you will ever read -- Brian Appleyard * Sunday Times *Villani has written probably the most unlikely unputdownable thriller of the decade -- Richard Morrison * The Times *A fine book from a brilliant man -- Rod Liddle * Sunday Times *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper
Book SynopsisJohn Allen Paulos is professor of mathematics at Temple University in Philadelphia. He is author of several books, including the bestseller Innumeracy which was a New York Times bestseller for 18 weeks and A Mathematician Plays the Market. He has appeared on many television and radio shows in the United States and has contributed articles to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the London Review of Books. In 2003, Paulos won the American Association for the Advancement of Science award for promoting public understanding of science.Trade ReviewMathematics is all around you. And it's a great defence against the sharks, cowboys and liars who want your vote, your money, or your life - as Paulos's latest book makes crystal clear * Ian Stewart, author of Does God Play Dice? *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Four Ways of Thinking
Book Synopsis''Packed with practical examples and insightful wisdom. . . A highly enjoyable and effective guide to better thinking'' Sabine Hossenfelder''I wish David Sumpter had been my maths teacher. I hated the subject at school. I hoover up his books now'' Sunday Times Acclaimed mathematician David Sumpter shows how we can deal with the chaos and complexity of our livesWhat is the best way to think about the world? How often do we consider how our own thinking might impact the way we approach our daily decisions? Could it help or hinder our relationships, our careers, or even our health?Thinking about thinking is something we rarely do, yet it is something science questions all the time. David Sumpter has spent decades studying what we could all learn from the mindsets of scientists, and Four Ways of Thinking is the result. Here he reveals the four easily applied approaches to our problems: statistical, interactive, chaotic and complex.Combining engaging personal experience with practical advice and inspiring tales of ground-breaking scientific pioneers (with a tiny bit of number crunching along the way), Sumpter explains how these tried and tested methods can help us with every conundrum, from how to bicker less with our partners to pitching to a tough crowd - and in doing so change our lives.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Math Without Numbers
Book Synopsis''The whizz-kid making maths supercool. . . A brilliant book that takes everything we know (and fear) about maths out of the equation - starting with numbers'' The Times''A cheerful, chatty, and charming trip through the world of mathematics. . . Everyone should read this delightful book'' Ian Stewart, author of Do Dice Play God?The only numbers in this book are the page numbers.The three main branches of abstract math - topology, analysis, and algebra - turn out to be surprisingly easy to grasp. Or at least, they are when our guide is a math prodigy. With forthright wit and warm charm, Milo Beckman upends the conventional approach to mathematics, inviting us to think creatively about shape and dimension, the infinite and the infinitesimal, symmetries, proofs, and all how all these concepts fit together. Why is there a million dollar prize for counting shapes? Is anything bigger than infinity? And how is the ''truth'' of mathematics actuTrade ReviewGenius: an entire book about mathematics in which the only digits are the page numbers. . . fresh, delightful and extremely accessible -- Alex Bellos * Guardian *Beckman's book is not only fascinating and enthralling but also one I actually kept my eyes open long enough to finish (in part because - and this is a massively underrated virtue in popular science books - it is short) -- Tom Whipple * The Times *This guide to the maths we didn't get taught at school is full of fascinating revelations -- Manjit Kumar * The Times *I was hooked. . . what is delightful about the book is the vivid clarity -- Tim HarfordA cheerful, chatty, and charming trip through the world of mathematics and its relation to the world of people - and not a number in sight! Everyone should read this delightful book. Even mathematicians -- Ian Stewart, author of Do Dice Play God?One of those wonderful books you'll want to tell everyone about -- Ananyo Bhattacharya, author of The Man from the FutureSo delightful! Mathematics is playful, surprising, and enchanting, but those qualities are often obscured behind intimidating equations and formalism. Milo Beckman brings them out into the open for everyone to share. -- Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply HiddenWith charm, unwavering enthusiasm, and a lot of cartoons, Math Without Numbers waltzes the reader through a garden of higher mathematics -- Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not To Be WrongMath Without Numbers explores deep mathematical topics -- and shows how mathematicians think-in completely readable prose. The puzzles and games are bonuses. Very enjoyable -- Will Shortz, crossword editor, The New York TimesA playful paean to the pleasures of studying higher math ... readers with an abundance of curiosity and the time to puzzle over Beckman's many examples, riddles, and questions, will make many fascinating discoveries * Publishers Weekly *The book's accessible language and illustrations makes understanding some of the most complex (and possibly most intimidating) math concepts feel as effortless as breathing. Beckman's approachable writing and Erazo's delightful illustration combine to tell an insightful and entertaining story about math -- Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec, co-authors of Dear DataThis is the book for you if you've ever been curious about the wonderful ideas and concepts underlying modern math, but been too frightened to make a start. Milo Beckman gives us a friendly introduction to unfamiliar concepts and ideas that show why modern math is such a fascinating and rewarding branch of human thought -- Graham Farmelo, author of The Universe Speaks in NumbersMath Without Numbers offers an accessible and whimsically illustrated glimpse of what pure mathematicians study, all while capturing the playful spirit with which they do it -- Grant Sanderson, creator of 3blue1brown
£10.44
Oxford University Press Wonders of Numbers
Book SynopsisWho were the five strangest mathematicians in history? What are the ten most interesting numbers? Jam-packed with thought-provoking mathematical mysteries, puzzles, and games, Wonders of Numbers will enchant even the most left-brained of readers. Hosted by the quirky Dr. Googol--who resides on a remote island and occasionally collaborates with Clifford Pickover--Wonders of Numbers focuses on creativity and the delight of discovery. Here is a potpourri of common and unusual number theory problems of varying difficulty--each presented in brief chapters that convey to readers the essence of the problem rather than its extraneous history. Peppered throughout with illustrations that clarify the problems, Wonders of Numbers also includes fascinating math gossip. How would we use numbers to communicate with aliens? Check out Chapter 30. Did you know that there is a Numerical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? You''ll find it in Chapter 45. From the beautiful formula of India''s most famous math
£20.24
Oxford University Press Quicker Calculations
Book SynopsisHow fast can you calculate? Would you like to be faster? This book presents the time honored tricks and tips of calculation, from a fresh perspective, to boost the speed at which you can add whether a couple of numbers, or columns so long an accountant may faint. Find out how to subtract, multiply, divide, and find square roots more quickly.Trade ReviewIf you think mental arithmetic is out of date in the 21st century, think again. This engaging book is about insight and interestingness beyond the simple utility of quicker calculations. The general style is original and characterful, and makes the book distinctive. * Prasenjit Saha, University of Zurich *This book is about very elementary concepts that ought to be read by sophisticated people who appreciate that elementary does not mean trivial. The author's erudite scholarship shines in the prose, along with just the right level of dry wit. It's serious stuff he's writing about (without numbers and arithmetic, our modern world simply vanishes into the ancient past where numbers were limited to none, one, and many), but in such a way that the reader does not slowly nod-off into a coma. * Paul J. Nahin, University of New Hampshire *Lipscombe's book is unusual, being, as it is, an expansive view of a small subject. The text he presents here is excellent, and is a model of everything a writer strives for: concision, simplicity, directness, accuracy, and surprise. * Don S. Lemons, Bethel College, Kansas *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Challenge 1: Arithmetical Advice 2: Speedier Sums and Subtractions Interlude I: The Magic of 111,111 3: Accounting for Taste -- Adding Columns Quickly Interlude II: Checking, Check Digits, and Casting out Nines 4: Quicker Quotients and Pleasing Products -- Multiply and Divide by Specific Numbers Interlude III: Doomsday 5: Calculations with Constraints -- Multiply and Divide by Numbers with Specific Properties Interlude IV: Multicultural Multiplication 6: Super Powers -- Calculate Squares, Square Roots, Cube Roots, and More 7: Close-Enough Calculations -- Quick and Accurate Approximations Interlude V: Approximating the Number of Space Aliens 8: Multiplying Irrationally The Grand Finale Further Reading Appendix I: Calculating Doomsday Appendix II: The Squares from 1 to 100
£20.99
Oxford University Press Sum Stories
Book SynopsisCan one prove that 1 + 1 = 2? Which US president proved Pythagoras' theorem? How long is the coastline of Britain? These and many other questions are answered in this book on famous equations and their historical development. The equations come from a range of mathematical disciplines, and cover 4,000 years from early counting to fractal geometry.
£23.75
McGill-Queen's University Press The Flying Mathematicians of World War I
Book SynopsisSet in the context of a new field of engineering, driven apace by conflict, this fascinating history follows the mathematicians and scientists who learnt to fly in order to expand our understanding of aeronautics. Tony Royle makes accessible the mathematics and the personal stories that forever changed the course of aviation.Trade Review"The Flying Mathematicians of World War I is an entertaining and inspiring read that communicates the power of mathematics, along with the romance and personal adventure of flying. The teaching of both engineering and history needs narratives like this one to give students a sense of the value of individual intellectual curiosity and direct experience." Sean F. Johnston, University of Glasgow and author of Techno-Fixers: Origins and Implications of Technological Faith"This book challenges our image of the swaggering warrior-turned-test-pilot who possessed the "right stuff" at the dawn of the supersonic era. Instead we meet an earlier and entirely different breed – the mathematicians, engineers, and scientists of Great Britain during World War I, many of whom learned to fly (some losing their lives) so they could better understand and test the aircraft they were responsible for designing. Thoroughly researched and thoughtfully analysed, written by an experienced pilot, this book is accessible to anyone interested in aviation history." Alan D. Meyer, Auburn University and author of Weekend Pilots: Technology, Masculinity, and Private Aviation in Postwar America
£31.50
Penguin Books Ltd The Secret Lives of Numbers
Book SynopsisA revisionist, completely accessible and radically inclusive history of maths''Lively, satisfying, good at explaining difficult concepts'' The Sunday TimesMathematics shapes almost everything we do. But despite its reputation as the study of fundamental truths, the stories we have been told about it are wrong. In The Secret Lives of Numbers, historian Kate Kitagawa and journalist Timothy Revell introduce readers to the mathematical boundary-smashers who have been erased by history because of their race, gender or nationality.From the brilliant Arabic scholars of the ninth-century House of Wisdom, and the pioneering African American mathematicians of the twentieth century, to the ''lady computers'' around the world who revolutionised our knowledge of the night sky, we meet these fascinating trailblazers and see how they contributed to our global knowledge today.Along the way, the mathematics itself is explained extremely clearly, fTrade ReviewLively, satisfying, good at explaining difficult concepts * The Sunday Times *Great and highly accessible read – even for the less numerically gifted * i, ‘Top Non-Fiction’ *A delightful journey through some of the lesser known highways and byways of mathematics -- Ananyo Bhattacharya, author of The Man from the FutureModern technology is built on the work of those who pursued maths for maths' sake. This book is a clever tribute to those brilliant, if sometimes erratic, lives -- Tom Calver * The Sunday Times *A delightful journey through some of the lesser known highways and byways of mathematics that brings to the fore many fascinating figures who have been unjustly forgotten. A treasury of lost historical tales where you can find the story of a Keralan mathematician who might have discovered calculus centuries before Newton and Leibniz or the eleventh-century Chinese origins of binary in the I Ching -- Ananyo Bhattacharya, author of The Man from the FutureThe history of math is typically taught from an exclusively Greco-Eurocentric perspective as a parade of great men. This significantly distorts reality. Mathematics has been invented in one form or another by every culture on Earth, and the exclusion of women and people of color from traditional narratives is particularly glaring. Kitagawa and Revell do an excellent job of broadening our view to the far more vibrant, collaborative, diverse, and interesting history . . . Mathematics is the most powerful tool humans ever invented, and this book is a welcome corrective to our understanding of how it came to be * Kirkus, starred review *
£18.00
Penguin Books Ltd Four Ways of Thinking
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAll events have a mathematical element. Sumpter shows that happiness begins with a simple calculation, and explores how our brains spot patterns -- Simon Ings * Telegraph, Best Books of the Year *I wish David Sumpter had been my maths teacher. I hated the subject at school. I hoover up his books now. . . He unpicks four big 20th-century ideas, all related to mathematical modelling of real-world behaviour. His particular genius is to apply these ways of thinking to relatable situations -- James McConnachie * The Sunday Times *A mathematician tries to make sense of the world through different lenses in this surprisingly original book. . . Eccentrically fascinating and enjoyable -- Steven Poole * Guardian *Four Ways of Thinking by mathematician David Sumpter shows numbers illuminating human complexities… positing that all phenomena are, mathematically speaking, either stable, periodic, chaotic or complex. Learn the differences between these phenomena, and you are halfway to better understanding your own life … gripping * New Scientist *Packed with practical examples and insightful wisdom, this book will sharpen your mind, empower your decision-making, and leave you equipped to navigate life's challenges with wit and acumen. A highly enjoyable and effective guide to better thinking -- Sabine Hossenfelder
£18.04
Penguin Books Ltd The Numbers Game
Book SynopsisDiscover football''s astonishing hidden rules in The Numbers Game by Chris Anderson and David Sally*Fully updated with a new World Cup chapter* Football has always been a numbers game: 4-4-2, the big number 9 and 3 points for a win. But what if up until now we''ve been focusing on the wrong numbers? What if the numbers that really matter, the ones that hold the key to winning matches, are actually 2.66, 53.4, 50/50, and 0 > 1? What if managers only make a 15% difference? What if Chelsea should have bought Darren Bent?In this incisive, myth-busting book, Chris Anderson, former goalkeeper turned football statistics guru, and David Sally, former baseball pitcher turned behavioural economist, show that every shred of knowledge we can gather can help us to love football and understand it even more. You''ll discover why stopping a goal is more valuable than scoring one, why corners should be taken short, and why it is better to improve yTrade ReviewDoes the impossible of making the beautiful game even more beautiful -- Malcolm GladwellA must-read . . . Chris Anderson and David Sally have the ability to see football in a way few have before them. Be warned: The Numbers Game will change the way you think about your favourite team or player, and change the way you watch the beautiful game. -- Billy Beane, General Manager of the Oakland A's, the subject of MoneyballA fascinating and stylish investigation into a rapidly developing way of understanding football -- Jonathan Wilson, author of Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football TacticsWhether you are a traditionalist or a numbers nut you can enjoy this book. It's thorough, accessible, and devoid of the absolute truths so many on both sides of the debate peddle. -- Gabriele Marcotti, football broadcaster and authorIt is the book that could change the game forever * Times *You need to like football. Millions of people do. And they should rush to read this book immediately. The game they love will take on new depth, colour and subtlety -- Ed Smith * The Times *
£10.44
WW Norton & Co Complete How to Figure It Using Math in Everyday Life
Book SynopsisAn all-in-one compendium of easy techniques for all kinds of calculations, from personal finance to home improvement.
£23.75
The Perseus Books Group The Millennium Problems
Book Synopsis
£13.29
The Perseus Books Group The Perfect Swarm The Science of Complexity in
Book Synopsis
£11.39
Basic Books Professor Stewarts Incredible Numbers
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of the 2015 Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing About Science MAA Reviews "The book is crafted with great enthusiasm, resulting in a delightful reading experience encompassing countless results and areas of classical and current research." Kirkus "Stewart receives an A for telling us how vast, wonderful and useful are all the members of the world of numbers."Table of ContentsNumbers Small Numbers Zero and Negative Numbers Complex Numbers Rational Numbers Irrational Numbers Special Small Numbers Special Big Numbers Infinite Numbers Life, the Universe, and...
£14.44
INGRAM PUBLISHER SERVICES US The Universe Speaks in Numbers
Book Synopsis
£18.04
The Perseus Books Group A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper
Book Synopsis
£12.59
Princeton University Press A Mathematical Nature Walk
Book SynopsisHow heavy is that cloud? Why can you see farther in rain than in fog? Why are the droplets on that spider web spaced apart so evenly? This book presents ninety-six questions about many common natural phenomena - and a few uncommon ones - and then shows how to answer them using mostly basic mathematics.Trade Review"[A] snappy guide to the mathematics of the outdoors... A sharp eye and an ingenious mind are at work on every page... Read this book with pencil and paper in hand. Then go forth, enjoy the view, and impress your friends."--Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History "Mathematics professor John Adam has come up with a novel combination. This book will provide anyone with a solid grounding in mathematics with enough conversation starters to keep fellow walkers' brains working as hard as their legs."--Dominic Lenton, Engineering & Technology "A catalogue of playful inquiries and their mathematical solutions."--Conservation Magazine "Adam has written a terrific book that takes his earlier work a step further... [T]his is a well written guide not only to seeing our world with simplified and useful models and mathematics, but to asking good questions of what we see and then answering those questions on our own. I found the book delightful, engaging, and interesting. It's written for anyone with a calculus background, and that's all one needs. If you're looking for a fun book with a touch of complexity, this is a good one."--David S. Mazel, MAA Reviews "For teachers who are interested in seeing how what they teach might be used or for students or parents who might be interested in seeing how mathematics might be used, this is an intriguing book."--Mathematics Teacher "[A]dam's love of both nature and mathematics is obvious, and his chatty style and sense of humour--look out for the question about spontaneously combusting haystacks--enliven a book that will get readers thinking as well as itching for a pleasant stroll."--Physics World "Indeed, Adam has deliberately reworked topics treated in Mathematics in Nature to make them accessible to a larger audience. Beyond insights into specific questions about nature, the general reader will find here a remarkably lucid explanation of how mathematicians create a formulaic model that mimics the key features of some natural phenomenon. Adam particularly highlights the importance in this process of solving inverse problems. Ordinary math becomes adventure."--Booklist "If you are a walker, as I am, your daypack probably contains sunscreen, a poncho, a floppy hat, and a pair of binoculars. After reading this snappy guide to the mathematics of the outdoors, by John Adam, a professor of mathematics at Old Dominion University in Virginia, you might consider tossing in a programmable calculator... A sharp eye and an ingenious mind are at work on every page... Read this book with pencil and paper in hand. Then go forth, enjoy the view, and impress your friends."--Natural History "There are now few (if any) areas of science where mathematics does not play a role and, by extension, many of the sights and sounds of nature can be studied using mathematics. This is the motivation behind A Mathematical Nature Walk by John Adam, which considers some of the natural phenomena that might be encountered on a walk in the countryside (or even just a wander around one's own garden)."--Sarah Shepherd, iSquared "[S]urprising and entertaining... Adam's book is lucidly written, making it suitable for people of all ages."--Good Book Guide "The dedicated reader stands a lot to gain from delving into the text and thinking hard about the problems posed. As the saying goes, 'mathematics is not a spectator sport,' so if this book is read with pencil and paper at hand, to scribble along and confirm understanding of the mathematical trains of thought--all the better."--Philip McIntosh, Suite101.comTable of ContentsPreface xv Acknowledgments xix Introduction 1 AT THE BEGINNING ... 11 (General questions to challenge our powers of observation, estimation, and physical intuition) Q.1-Q.6: Rainbows 11 Q.7: Shadows 11 Q.8-9: Clouds and cloud droplets 12 Q.10: Light 12 Q.11: Sound 12 Q.12-13: The rotation of the Earth 12 Q.14: The horizon 12 Q.15: The appearance of distant hills 12 IN THE "PLAYGROUND" 13 (just to get our feet wet...) Q.16: Loch Ness--how long to empty it? 13 Q.17: The Grand Canyon--how long to fill it with sand? 14 Q.18: Just how large an area is a million acres? 15 Q.19: Twenty-five billion hamburgers--how many have you eaten? 16 Q.20: How many head of cattle would be required to satisfy the (1978) daily demand for meat in the United States? 16 Q.21: Why could King Kong never exist? 17 Q.22: Why do small bugs dislike taking showers? 18 Q.23: How fast is that raindrop falling? 18 Q.24: Why can haystacks explode if they're too big? 20 In the garden 24 Q.25: Why can I see the "whole universe" in my garden globe? 24 Q.26: How long is that bee going to collect nectar? 25 Q.27: Why are those drops on the spider's web so evenly spaced? 27 Q.28: What is the Fibonacci sequence? 31 Q.29: So what is the "golden angle"? 35 Q.30: Why are the angles between leaves "just so"? 36 IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD 43 Q.31: Can you infer fencepost (or bridge) "shapes" just by walking past them? 43 Q.32: Can you weigh a pumpkin just by carefully looking at it? 48 Q.33: Can you determine the paths of low-flying ducks? 53 IN THE SHADOWS 58 Q.34: How high is that tree? (An estimate using elliptical light patches) 58 Q.35: Does my shadow accelerate? 59 Q.36: How long is the Earth's shadow? 61 Q.37: And Jupiter's? And Neptune's? 63 Q.38: How wide is the Moon's shadow? 63 IN THE SKY 64 Q.39: How far away is the horizon (neglecting refraction)? 64 Q.40: How far away is that cloud? 66 Q.41: How well is starlight reflected from a calm body of water? 67 Q.42: How heavy is that cloud? 71 Q.43: Why can we see farther in rain than in fog? 72 Q.44: How far away does that "road puddle" mirage appear to be? 73 Q.45: Why is the sky blue? 77 Q.46: So how much more is violet light scattered than red? 79 Q.47: What causes variation in colors of butterfly wings, bird plumage, and oil slicks? 80 Q.48: What causes the metallic colors in that cloud? 84 Q.49: How do rainbows form? And what are those fringes underneath the primary bow? 85 Q.50: What about the secondary rainbow? 92 Q.51: Are there higher-order rainbows? 93 Q.52: So what is that triple rainbow? 95 Q.53: Is there a "zeroth"-order rainbow? 98 Q.54: Can bubbles produce "rainbows"? 99 Q.55: What would "diamondbows" look like? 100 Q.56: What causes that ring around the Sun? 101 Q.57: What is that shaft of light above the setting Sun? 109 Q.58: What is that colored splotch of light beside the Sun? 111 Q.59: What's that "smiley face" in the sky? 113 Q.60: What are those colored rings around the shadow of my plane? 116 Q.61: Why does geometrical optics imply infinite intensity at the rainbow angle? 118 IN THE NEST 122 Q.62: How can you model the shape of birds' eggs? 122 Q.63: What is the sphericity index? 123 Q.64: Can the shape of an egg be modeled trigonometrically? 124 Q.65: Can the shape of an egg be modeled algebraically? 127 Q.66: Can the shape of an egg be modeled using calculus? 130 Q.67: Can the shape of an egg be modeled geometrically? 134 IN (OR ON) THE WATER 137 Q.68: What causes a glitter path? 137 Q.69: What is the path of wave intersections? 140 Q.70: How fast do waves move on the surface of water? 141 Q.71: How do moving ships produce that wave pattern? 148 Q.72: How do rocks in a flowing stream produce different patterns? 152 Q.73: Can waves be stopped by opposing streams? 154 Q.74: How far away is the storm? 157 Q.75: How fast is the calm region of that "puddle wave" expanding? 158 Q.76: How much energy do ocean waves have? 160 Q.77: Does a wave raise the average depth of the water? 162 Q.78: How can ship wakes prove the Earth is "round"? 164 In the forest 168 Q.79: How high can trees grow? 168 Q.80: How much shade does a layer of leaves provide for the layer below? 172 Q.81: What is the "murmur of the forest"? 174 Q.82: How opaque is a wood or forest? 176 Q.83: Why do some trees have "tumors"? 179 IN THE NATIONAL PARK 183 Q.84: What shapes are river meanders? 183 Q.85: Why are mountain shadows triangular? 189 Q.86: Why does Zion Arch appear circular? 191 IN THE NIGHT SKY 194 Q.87: How are star magnitudes measured? 194 Q.88: How can I stargaze with a flashlight? 196 Q.89: How can you model a star? 197 Q.90: How long would it take the Sun to collapse? 205 Q.91: What are those small rings around the Moon? 207 Q.92: How can you model an eclipse of the Sun? 210 AT THE END ... 217 Q.93: How can you model walking? 217 Q.94: How "long" is that tree? 221 Q.95: What are those "rays" I sometimes see at or after sunset? 224 Q.96: How can twilight help determine the height of the atmosphere? 228 Appendix 1: A very short glossary of mathematical terms and functions 231 Appendix 2: Answers to questions 1-15 234 Appendix 3: Newton's law of cooling 238 Appendix 4: More mathematical patterns in nature 240 References 243 Index 247
£18.00
Princeton University Press X and the City
Book SynopsisExplores a range of entertaining questions about urban life such as: How do you estimate the number of dental or doctor's offices, gas stations, restaurants, or movie theaters in a city of a given size? How can mathematics be used to maximize traffic flow through tunnels? And, more.Trade Review"[Adam's] writing is fun and accessible... College or even advanced high school mathematics instructors will find plenty of great examples here to supplement the standard calculus problem sets."--Library Journal "For mathematics professionals, especially those engaged in teaching, this book does contain some novel examples that illustrate topics such as probability and analysis."--Choice "Read this book and come away with a fresh view of how cities work. Enjoy it for the connections between mathematics and the real world. Share it with your friends, family, and maybe even a municipal planning commissioner or two!"--Sandra L. Arlinghaus, Mathematical Reviews Clippings "It goes without saying that the exposition is very friendly and lucid: this makes the vast majority of material accessible to a general audience interested in mathematical modeling and real life applications. This excellent book may well complement standard texts on engineering mathematics, mathematical modeling, applied mathematics, differential equations; it is a delightful and entertaining reading itself. Thank you, Vickie Kearn, the editor of A Mathematical Nature Walk, for suggesting the idea of this book to Professor Adam--your idea has been delightfully implemented!"--Svitlana P. Rogovchenko, Zentralblatt MATH "[Y]ou'll find this book quite extensive in how many different areas you can apply mathematics in the city and just how revealing even a simple model can be... A Mathematical Nature Walk opened my eyes to nature and now Adam has done the same for cities."--David S. Mazel, MAA Reviews "The author has an entertaining style, interweaving clever stories with the process of mathematical modeling. This book is not designed as a textbook, although it could certainly be used as an interesting source of real-world problems and examples for advanced high school mathematics courses."--Theresa Jorgensen, Mathematics TeacherTable of ContentsPreface xiii Acknowledgments xvii Chapter 1 Introduction: Cancer, Princess Dido, and the city 1 Chapter 2 Getting to the city 7 Chapter 3 Living in the city 15 Chapter 4 Eating in the city 35 Chapter 5 Gardening in the city 41 Chapter 6 Summer in the city 47 Chapter 7 Not driving in the city! 63 Chapter 8 Driving in the city 73 Chapter 9 Probability in the city 89 Chapter 10 Traffic in the city 97 Chapter 11 Car following in the city--I 107 Chapter 12 Car following in the city--II 113 Chapter 13 Congestion in the city 121 Chapter 14 Roads in the city 129 Chapter 15 Sex and the city 135 Chapter 16 Growth and the city 149 Chapter 17 The axiomatic city 159 Chapter 18 Scaling in the city 167 Chapter 19 Air pollution in the city 179 Chapter 20 Light in the city 191 Chapter 21 Nighttime in the city--I 209 Chapter 22 Nighttime in the city--II 221 Chapter 23 Lighthouses in the city? 233 Chapter 24 Disaster in the city? 247 Chapter 25 Getting away from the city 255 Appendix 1 Theorems for Princess Dido 261 Appendix 2 Dido and the sinc function 263 Appendix 3 Taxicab geometry 269 Appendix 4 The Poisson distribution 273 Appendix 5 The method of Lagrange multipliers 277 Appendix 6 A spiral braking path 279 Appendix 7 The average distance between two random points in a circle 281 Appendix 8 Informal "derivation" of the logistic differential equation 283 Appendix 9 A miniscule introduction to fractals 287 Appendix 10 Random walks and the diffusion equation 291 Appendix 11 Rainbow/halo details 297 Appendix 12 The Earth as vacuum cleaner? 303 Annotated references and notes 309 Index 317
£21.25
Princeton University Press Four Colors Suffice
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
£19.80
Princeton University Press In Pursuit of the Travelling Salesman
Book SynopsisWhat is the shortest possible route for a traveling salesman seeking to visit each city on a list exactly once and return to his city of origin? It sounds simple enough, yet the traveling salesman problem is one of the most intensely studied puzzles in applied mathematics--and it has defied solution to this day. In this book, William Cook takes reaTrade Review"Fascinating ... describes the history, personalities, challenges, applications and techniques used to find solutions of the famous 'Traveling Salesman Problem' and related problems."--Pradeep Mutalik, Wordplay blog at New York Times "The Traveling Salesman Problem, or TSP, might seem to be of purely recreational interest ... but in fact, as William J. Cook's In Pursuit of the Traveling Salesman ably shows, the problem remains a topic of hot interest... [This book is] an excellent place for an interested amateur to get the gist of these big ideas in a down-to-earth discussion... Mr. Cook's affable style means that you're never too far from an enjoyable historical anecdote or an offbeat application of a problem that has interested some of the best minds in applied math for most of a century and that shows no signs of getting stale."--Jordan Ellenberg, Wall Street Journal "The author, William Cook, writes in an easy to understand style and explores the various algorithms and branches of mathematics used to solve TSP, including the branch of mathematics known as linear programming, which is known to most of us through grade school algebra and word problems... In Pursuit of the Traveling Salesman is a thoroughly entertaining nerd-fest for the science minded reader."--Robert Schaefer, New York Journal of Books "Along with a heady dose of algorithms, Cook also offers a diverting survey of the lore and history of the TSP... The new volume addresses a wider audience [than The Traveling Salesman Problem: A Computational Study], with more pictures and fewer equations, explaining how things are done rather than how to do them, but it covers all the same territory as the larger book. The path through that territory seems reasonably close to optimal."--Brian Hayes, American Scientist "In Pursuit of the Traveling Salesman is a first-hand and a first-class introduction into the evolution of TSP, with chapters devoted to related mathematics and algorithmic topics. TSP is really at the heart of much of the research and development of modern computer science, so the author leads the reader through the past and emerging landscape of relevant research up to the very end of the mapped territory. Reading the book looks like an exciting adventure, with the itinerary mapped for the reader by a master story-teller whose work squarely places him in the forefront of the TSP research."--Alexander Bogomolny, Cut the Knot Insights blog "Bill takes his readers down a beautiful path covering the history, applications, and algorithms associated with the TSP. It is a fascinating story, and one that shows a researcher who truly loves his research area... Through this book, you'll learn all about the Traveling Salesman Problem and, more broadly, about the different research directions in combinatorial optimization."--Michael Trick's Operations Research Blog "In his new book, aptly titled In Pursuit of the Traveling Salesman, William Cook enlists us to join him on a personal journey through all-things past and present regarding this mammoth of a mathematical problem... I would highly recommend this book to interested readers and high school mathematics teachers, especially those of upper-level coursework. A great deal of mathematics is covered here and the TSP can easily spark debate and inquiry in the classroom."--Christopher Thompson, Loci: Convergence "In Pursuit of the Traveling Salesman: Mathematics at the Limits of Computation, does a wonderful job presenting the history and significance of the TSP and an overview of cutting-edge research. It's a beautiful, visually rich book, full of color photographs and diagrams that enliven both the narrative and mathematical presentation. And it includes a wealth of information."--Math Less Traveled "This book introduces the TSP, its applications, and computational methods for its solution to a general audience."--Choice "Cook is spot-on in his delivery of what could be considered by most as an arcane mathematical problem to be solved by only those in the engineering world but like Hawking, peaks interest in a field in which lowly MIT professors could only dream... His witty commentary complements his own casual insertion into the mathematical world and drive to solve the greatest of mathematics' problems. This book is proof that good science writing and mathematics add up."--Robert Terpstra, Business Today Egypt "The technical details are described with precision, but the inherent mathematical concepts are explained in an informal way so that readers without a deep mathematical background can also follow the story... The book is full of examples, real applications and historical anecdotes, making it really enjoyable to read."--Gregorio Tirado Dominguez, European Mathematical Society "The book is highly recommended to any one with a mathematical curiosity and interest in the development of ideas."--Haris Aziz, ACM SIGACT News "[T]here is sufficient mathematical detail to provide a good start to readers interested in a more technical treatment. The style is congenial, breezy, and entertaining; many anecdotes and pop culture references are included. Even seasoned researchers will find the book a truly enjoyable read, and it can serve as an ideal basis for a college level freshman seminar."--Gabor Pataki, INFORMS Journal on Computing "The author has a solid understanding of the material and tries to present it in an accessible and sometimes entertaining way... I recommend it to anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the TSP and modern developments in solving TSP-like problems."--S. Leigh Nataro, Mathematics Teacher "[T]his book presents the history and significance of the TSP, and provides an overview of this cutting-edge research in a wonderful way. I recommend it to anybody who is interested in a down-to-earth discussion that provides the most current information on the TSP."--Roberto Baldacci, Interfaces "This book covers all facets of the TSP and ventures into some very deep theory of complexity and computability. It is written for the general mathematician or scientist but would also be useful to the OR specialist. Overall it is entertaining, richly illustrated and well-referenced. It tells us much about general problem solving as well as the TSP."--Francis McGonigal, Mathematics TodayTable of ContentsPreface xi Chapter 1: Challenges 1 Tour of the United States 2 An Impossible Task? 6 One Problem at a Time 10 Road Map of the Book 16 Chapter 2: Origins of the Problem 19 Before the Mathematicians 19 Euler and Hamilton 27 Vienna to Harvard to Princeton 35 And on to the RAND Corporation 38 A Statistical View 39 Chapter 3: The Salesman in Action 44 Road Trips 44 Mapping Genomes 49 Aiming Telescopes, X-rays, and Lasers 51 Guiding Industrial Machines 53 Organizing Data 56 Tests for Microprocessors 59 Scheduling Jobs 60 And More 60 Chapter 4: Searching for a Tour 62 The 48-States Problem 62 Growing Trees and Tours 65 AlterationsWhile You Wait 75 Borrowing from Physics and Biology 84 The DIMACS Challenge 91 Tour Champions 92 Chapter 5: Linear Programming 94 General-Purpose Model 94 The Simplex Algorithm 99 Two for the Price of One: LP Duality 105 The Degree LP Relaxation of the TSP 108 Eliminating Subtours 113 A Perfect Relaxation 118 Integer Programming 122 Operations Research 125 Chapter 6: Cutting Planes 127 The Cutting-Plane Method 127 A Catalog of TSP Inequalities 131 The Separation Problem 137 Edmonds's Glimpse of Heaven 142 Cutting Planes for Integer Programming 144 Chapter 7: Branching 146 Breaking Up 146 The Search Party 148 Branch-and-bound for Integer Programming 151 Chapter 8: Big Computing 153 World Records 153 The TSP on a Grand Scale 163 Chapter 9: Complexity 168 A Model of Computation 169 The Campaign of Jack Edmonds 171 Cook's Theorem and Karp's List 174 State of the TSP 178 Do We Need Computers? 184 Chapter 10: The Human Touch 191 Humans versus Computers 191 Tour-finding Strategies 192 The TSP in Neuroscience 196 Animals Solving the TSP 197 Chapter 11: Aesthetics 199 Julian Lethbridge 199 Jordan Curves 201 Continuous Lines 205 Art and Mathematics 207 Chapter 12: Pushing the Limits 211 Notes 213 Bibliography 223 Index 225
£12.59
Princeton University Press e The Story of a Number
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
£14.24
Princeton University Press The Best Writing on Mathematics 2015
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 Best Writing on Mathematics does not shy away from mathematics, and that is why it shines. Pitici has done a wonderful job curating articles that form a cohesive ... volume for readers seeking more than what popular mathematics books have to offer. Overall, this is a great book for the mathematically-experienced reader seeking to connect to mathematics outside of the world of textbooks and tests."--Douglas Whitaker, Key Reporter "[A]nother wonderful variety of mathematical writings, this time with a distinct focus on mathematical games and puzzles. These intriguing--and sometimes unsolved--puzzles provide fuel for much contemplation and exploration of varied topics such as billiards, juggling, and the game Candy Crush... Those picking up this collection for the math itself should be pleasantly surprised by the enlightening interdisciplinary work in philosophy, history, and art."--Publishers Weekly "Pitici offers his annual selection of intriguing mathematical articles, and happily, 2015 was a banner year. [An] eclectic collection of nontechnical papers understandable to any reader... A well-chosen collection supplemented by an outstanding further reading list."--Harold D. Shane, Library Journal[ "I like expository articles on mathematics, but seldom have the time during the academic year to seek them out, so it is always a pleasure to have somebody like Pitici assemble a collection of good ones for me. This year's assortment, like those of the last few years, did not disappoint."--Mark Hunacek, MAA Reviews "Dealing with topics of general interest--as history and philosophy, teaching, the occurrence of mathematics in everyday life, etc.--presented in an attractive and accessible manner, the books appeals to a large audience, including mathematicians of all levels of instruction, but also to anyone interested in the development of science and its applications."--Horia F. Pop, Studia Mathematica "The idea behind this great series, which Pitici describes as 'accessible but nontrivial content that presents for mathematicians and for the general public a wide assortment of informed and insightful perspectives on pure and applied mathematics, on topics related to the learning and teaching of mathematics, on the practice and practicality of mathematics, on the social and institutional aspects in which the mathematics themes, or on other themes related to mathematics,' was clearly presented in last year's book and successfully continued in the one in front of us. We trust and hope that this will carry on in future years and we are definitely looking forward to it."--Aleksandar M. Nikoli?, MathSciNet "I found this book to be a great resource. The articles are easy to read and interesting to ponder. This book will be a valuable resource when my students in algebra and geometry want to look at a math concept for a project. The recent math applications in this book are a valuable resource."--Matthew Tucker, National Council of Teachers of MathematicsTable of ContentsIntroduction - Mircea Pitici xi A Dusty Discipline - Michael J. Barany and Donald MacKenzie 1 How Puzzles Made Us Human - Pradeep Mutalik 7 Let the Games Continue - Colm Mulcahy and Dana Richards 14 Challenging Magic Squares for Magicians - Arthur T. Benjamin and Ethan J. Brown 26 Candy Crush's Puzzling Mathematics - Toby Walsh 38 Chaos on the Billiard Table - Marianne Freiberger 47 Juggling with Numbers - Erik R. Tou 63 The Quest for Randomness - Scott Aaronson 69 Synthetic Biology, Real Mathematics - Dana Mackenzie 93 At the Far Ends of a New Universal Law - Natalie Wolchover 99 Twisted Math and Beautiful Geometry - Eli Maor and Eugen Jost 107 Kenichi Miura's Water Wheel, or The Dance of the Shapes of Constant Width - Burkard Polster 119 Durer: Disguise, Distance, Disagreements, and Diagonals! - Annalisa Crannell, Marc Frantz, and Fumiko Futamura 132 The Quaternion Group as a Symmetry Group - Vi Hart and Henry Segerman 141 The Steiner-Lehmus Angle-Bisector Theorem - John Conway and Alex Ryba 154 Key Ideas and Memorability in Proof - Gila Hanna and John Mason 167 The Future of High School Mathematics - Jim Fey, Sol Garfunkel, Diane Briars, Andy Isaacs, Henry Pollak, Eric Robinson, Richard Scheaffer, Alan Schoenfeld, Cathy Seeley, Dan Teague, and Zalman Usiskin 181 Demystifying the Math Myth: Analyzing the Contributing Factors for the Achievement Gap between Chinese and U.S. Students - Guili Zhang and Miguel A. Padilla 187 The Pigeonhole Principle, Two Centuries before Dirichlet - Benoit Rittaud and Albrecht Heeffer 201 A Prehistory of Nim - Lisa Rougetet 207 Godel, Gentzen, Goodstein: The Magic Sound of a G-String - Jan von Plato 215 Global and Local - James Franklin 228 Mathematical Beauty, Understanding, and Discovery - Carlo Cellucci 241 A Guide for the Perplexed: What Mathematicians Need to Know to Understand Philosophers of Mathematics - Mark Balaguer 265 Writing about Math for the Perplexed and the Traumatized - Steven Strogatz 280 Is Big Data Enough? A Reflection on the Changing Role of Mathematics in Applications - Domenico Napoletani, Marco Panza, and Daniele C. Struppa 293 The Statistical Crisis in Science - Andrew Gelman and Eric Loken 305 Color illustration section follows page 316 Statistics and the Ontario Lottery Retailer Scandal - Jeffrey S. Rosenthal 319 Never Say Never - David J. Hand 332 Contributors 337 Notable Writings 349 Acknowledgments 359 Credits 361
£76.85
Princeton University Press The Joy of SET
Book SynopsisTrade Review“A model of mathematical exposition. The quality of writing is consistently high: clear but not condescending, humorous, chatty, and a genuine pleasure to read.”—Mark Hunacek, MAA Reviews“The book shows how budding interest in mathematics can be fostered and developed.”—Alexander Bogomolny, Cut the Knot“What I love about The Joy of SET is that it is written in such a way that it can be read and enjoyed by both SET enthusiasts and someone that has never played SET before.”—Sarah Carter, Math Equals Love“As the authors convincingly demonstrate . . . the mathematics behind SET actually goes very deep."—Brent Yorgey, Math Less Traveled“The Joy of SET uses a popular and very simple card game as a springboard for a whirlwind tour through probability, combinatorics, finite geometries, and experimental mathematics. Whether or not you play SET, you’ll find a lot of great math to play with in this book.”—Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking
£16.19
Princeton University Press Pentagons and Pentagrams
Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"
£18.00
Penguin Books Ltd How Not to Be Wrong
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe maths we learn in school can seem like an abstract set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. In fact, Jordan Ellenberg shows us, maths touches on everything we do, and a little mathematical knowledge reveals the hidden structures that lie beneath the world''s messy and chaotic surface. In How Not to be Wrong, Ellenberg explores the mathematician''s method of analyzing life, from the everyday to the cosmic, showing us which numbers to defend, which ones to ignore, and when to change the equation entirely. Along the way, he explains calculus in a single page, describes Gödel''s theorem using only one-syllable words, and reveals how early you actually need to get to the airport.
£12.34
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc Dominoes
Book SynopsisDominoes includes everything you need to enjoy one of the world’s oldest and most versatile games, including a 28-tile dominoes set, velvet storage bag, instruction book, and game wheel.
£21.12
Johns Hopkins University Press What Are the Chances
Book SynopsisWhether you have only a distant recollection of high school algebra or use differential equations every day, this book offers examples of the impact of chance that will amuse and astonish.Trade ReviewAll 140 pages of What Are the Chances? are enjoyable and convey much wisdom in an area where gut feelings and rash actions frequently prevail. -- Colin Keay The Physicist An extremely fun read... Insightful and full of interesting applications. Chance Holland captures the reader's imagination with surprising examples of probability in action, everyday events that can profoundly affect our lives. It will amuse and astonish the reader. Journal of Irreproducible Results Holland Captures the reader's imagination with surprising examples of probability in action, everyday events that can profoundly affect our lives but are controlled by just one number. Mathematical Reviews What Are the Chances? is an enjoyable read. And painlessly instructive as well... [a] charming book. -- James Gerrand The Skeptic What Are the Chances? will give you a whole new outlook... readable, comprehendable, and often funny. -- Marilis Hornidge The Courier-Gazette If you have ever wondered about the chances of a Prussian cavalryman being kicked to death by his horse or if you prefer to work out your own life expectancy by staring at life tables, then Bart Holland's excellent primer on probability is a great place to start. In a time when anecdote and panic seem to influence public policy more than objective analysis, Holland has provided a welcome reminder of the power of the analytical approach. -- Simon Singh New Scientist Will entertain and inform people who like statistical puzzles and may nudge those who don't toward statistical literacy... Offers explanations of such probability-based phenomena as why buses come in clumps, how life insurance table work, and how diseases spread. While maintaining a sense of fun, Holland still manages to work in some equations and a little of the history behind different kinds of statistical reasoning. Library Journal Written to make minimal (almost zero) use of formulas or algebraic skills. Covers a remarkable number of topics [which are] introduced to stimulate the interest of the average reader. American Mathematical Monthly This is a book I can happily recommend... I learnt something from every chapter. -- Quentin L. Burrell Significance 2004 The author writes fluently and with authority and he covers a host of different situations... The strength of this book is the wealth of examples of applied probability theory which will provide useful support for any statistics course in the classroom. -- Gerry Leversha Mathematical Gazette 2004 An excellent source of interesting examples of probability and statistics in action. -- James V. Rauff Mathematics and Computer Education 2004Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsChapter 1. Roulette Wheels and the PlagueChapter 2. Surely Something's Wrong With YouChapter 3. The Life Table: You Can Bet On It!Chapter 4. The Rarest EventsChapter 5. The Waiting GameChapter 6. Stockbrokers and Climate ChangeIndex
£32.44
Johns Hopkins University Press Adventures in Group Theory
Book SynopsisFeaturing strategies for solving the puzzles and computations illustrated using the SAGE open-source computer algebra system, the second edition of Adventures in Group Theory is perfect for mathematics enthusiasts and for use as a supplementary textbook.Trade Review"Adventures in Group Theory is a tour through the algebra of several 'permutation puzzles'... If you like puzzles, this is a somewhat fun book. If you like algebra, this is a fun book. If you like puzzles and algebra, this is a really fun book." - MAA Online "Joyner has collated all the Rubik lore and integrated it with a self-contained introduction to group theory that equals or, more likely, exceeds what is available in typical dedicated elementary texts." - Choice "Joyner does convey some of the excitement and adventure in picking up knowledge of group theory by trying to understand Rubik's Cube. Enthusiastic students will learn a lot of mathematics from this book." - American Scientist"Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsWhere to Begin...1. Elementary, my dear Watson2. 'And you do addition?'3. Bell ringing and other permutations4. A procession of permutation puzzles5. What's commutative and purple?6. Welcome to the machine7. 'God's algorithm' and graphs8. Symmetry and the Platonic solids9. The illegal cube group10. Words which move11. The (legal) Rubik's Cube group12. Squares, two-faces, and other subgroups13. Other Rubik-like puzzle groups14. Crossing the Rubicon15. Some solution strategies16. Coda: Questions and other directionsBibliographyIndex
£26.10
Johns Hopkins University Press What Is a Number
Book SynopsisThis historic and thematic study refutes the received wisdom that mathematical concepts are esoteric and divorced from other intellectual pursuits-revealing them instead as dynamic and intrinsic to almost every human endeavor.Trade ReviewA very unusual book!... Every chapter offers a refreshing wealth of surprising connections, gently nudging readers to expand and assimilate their growing understanding of mathematics and its role in society... Highly recommended. Choice 2009 I recommend this book for teachers and college students interested in the role mathematics play in answering the big 'Whys?' of life. -- Vicki Schell Mathematics Teacher 2010Table of ContentsPreface1. Mysticism, Number, and Geometry: An Introduction to Pythagoreanism2. The Elgin Marbles and Plato's Geometric Chemistry3. An Introduction to Infinity4. The Flat Earth and the Spherical Sky5. Theology, Logic, and Questions about Angels6. Time, Infinity, and Incommensurability7. Medieval Theories of Vision and the Discovery of Space8. The Shape of Space and the Fourth Dimension9. What Is a Number?10. The Dual Nature of Points and Lines11. Modern Mathematical Infinity12. Elegance and TruthNotesBibliographyIndex
£28.50
Quercus Publishing How to Solve the Da Vinci Code
Book SynopsisCan you outrun a bullet? How do you build an electronic brain? Could you slow down time? How do you unleash chaos? From Plato''s classification of regular polyhedra to making a million on the stock market, How to Solve the Da Vinci Code gives you everything you need to understand how numbers work, and the impact they have on our lives every day.Trade Review'Here is a brilliantly conceived book on the history, working and going-ons of mathematics ... Go out and get a copy for yourself today and become the maths boffin your teacher always wished you were!' Vision Magazine. * Vision Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction. How to solve every equation there has ever been. How to become a celebrity mathematician. How to square a circle. How to win the ultimate mathematics prize. How to slay a mathematical monster. How to excel at Sudoku. How to unleash chaos. How to survive a whirlpool. How to make a million on the stock market. How to outrun a speeding bullet. How to solve the Da Vinci code. How to admire a mathematical masterpiece. How to count like a supercomputer. How to visit a hundred cities in one day. How to arrange the perfect dinner party. How to paint the world in four colours. How to be alive and dead at the same time. How to draw an impossible triangle. How to unknot your DNA. How to find all the holes in the universe. How to feel at home in five dimensions. How to design the perfect pattern. How to build the perfect beehive. How to count to infinity. How to build a brain. How to bring down the internet. How to ask an unanswerable question. How to detect fraud. How to create an unbreakable code. How to avoid prison. How to mislead a jury. How to slow time. How to win at roulette. How to have beautiful children. How to talk to a computer. Glossary. Index.
£10.44
Cambridge University Press Dicing with Death
Book SynopsisAs a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical statistics and public health data have become staples of newsfeeds worldwide, with infection rates, deaths, case fatality and the mysterious R figure featuring regularly. However, we don''t all have the statistical background needed to translate this information into knowledge. In this lively account, Stephen Senn explains these statistical phenomena and demonstrates how statistics is essential to making rational decisions about medical care. The second edition has been thoroughly updated to cover developments of the last two decades and includes a new chapter on medical statistical challenges of COVID-19, along with additional material on infectious disease modelling and representation of women in clinical trials. Senn entertains with anecdotes, puzzles and paradoxes, while tackling big themes including: clinical trials and the development of medicines, life tables, vaccines and their risks or lack of them, smoking and lung cancer, and even the power of prayer.Trade Review'The COVID pandemic has shown the power of statistics to save millions of lives by revealing 'what works'. Yet statistical methods have a deeply controversial history, and provoke sometimes bitter debate to this day. Professor Stephen Senn is renowned for his brilliant insights on the subject, and in Dicing with Death he offers us a series of fascinating journeys through its vast and varied landscape.' Robert Matthews, Visiting Professor Aston University and author of Chancing It: The Laws of Chance and How They Can Work for YouTable of Contents1. Circling the square; 2. The diceman cometh; 3. Trials of life; 4. Of dice and men; 5. Sex and the single patient; 6. A hale view of pills (and other matters); 7. Time's tables; 8. A dip in the pool; 9. The things that bug us; 10. The law is a ass; 11. The empire of the sum; 12. Going viral; Notes; Index.
£23.47
John Wiley & Sons Inc Basic Maths Practice Problems For Dummies
Book SynopsisHelps you to master basic arithmetic, this book shows you how to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems. It also offers 2,000 pencil-and-paper practice problems, and the lowdown on fractions, decimals and percentages; and more.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part I: The Building Blocks of Maths 7 Chapter 1: Getting Started 9 Chapter 2: Introducing the Basics: Addition and Subtraction 17 Chapter 3: Equal Piles: Multiplying and Dividing 35 Chapter 4: Are We Nearly There Yet? Estimating and Rounding 53 Part II: Working with Parts of the Whole 67 Chapter 5: Facing Fractions without Fear 69 Chapter 6: What’s the Point? Dealing with Decimals 91 Chapter 7: It’s All Relative: Tackling Ratio and Proportion 107 Chapter 8: Working Out Perfect Percentages, 100% of the Time 127 Part III: Real-life Maths 147 Chapter 9: Clocking Time 149 Chapter 10: Counting the Cash: Dealing with Money 171 Chapter 11: Working with Weights 189 Chapter 12: Feeling the Heat: Getting to Grips with Temperature 203 Chapter 13: Sizing Up Shapes 219 Chapter 14: Sharpening Your Knowledge of Shapes 241 Part IV: Speaking Statistically 259 Chapter 15: Mining Data (No Hard Hat Required) 261 Chapter 16: Grappling with Graphs 289 Chapter 17: Average Joe: Sussing Out Statistics 299 Chapter 18: What Are the Chances? Playing with Probability 313 Part V: The Part of Tens 325 Chapter 19: Ten (Or So) Ways to Check Your Work 327 Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Remembering Your Number Facts 333 Chapter 21: Ten Top Tips for Getting Things Right 341 Index 347
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets
Book SynopsisFrom bestselling author of Fermat''s Last Theorem, a must-have for number lovers and Simpsons fans''An entertaining picture of the insanely high-minded nature of the Simpsons' writers'' Sunday Times''A valuable, entertaining book that, above all, celebrates a supremely funny, sophisticated show'' Financial TimesYou may have watched hundreds of episodes of The Simpsons (and its sister show Futurama) without ever realising that they contain enough maths to form an entire university course.In The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets, Simon Singh explains how the brilliant writers, some of the mathematicians, have smuggled in mathematical jokes throughout the cartoon's twenty-five year history, exploring everything from to Mersenne primes, from Euler's equation to the unsolved riddle of P vs. NP, from perfect numbers to narcissistic numbers, and muTrade ReviewSingh blows the lid off a decades-long conspiracy to secretly educate cartoon viewers -- David X Cohen, writer for The Simpsons and FuturamaAn entertaining picture of the insanely high-minded nature of the Simpsons’ writers * Sunday Times *Singh shows a knack for gliding seamlessly between abstract mathematical concepts and every day life, always seeking out the most engaging, human and topical examples. Singh’s clean prose, detailed research and enthusiasm for the world of numbers are likely to captivate even those for whom maths normally creates feelings of anxiety rather than mirth * The Times *A valuable, entertaining book that, above all, celebrates a supremely funny, sophisticated show * Financial Times *What have Homer and Bart got to do with Euler's equation, the googolplex or the topology of doughnuts? ... Simon Singh has fun weaving great mathematics stories around our favourite TV characters * New Scientist *Singh shows just how addictive maths can be * BBC Focus *
£11.69
Abrams Two Trains Leave Paris
Book Synopsis
£10.99
Hodder & Stoughton Thinking in Numbers
Book SynopsisThis is the book that Daniel Tammet, bestselling author and mathematical savant, was born to write. In Tammet''s world, numbers are beautiful and mathematics illuminates our lives and minds. Using anecdotes and everyday examples, Tammet allows us to share his unique insights and delight in the way numbers, fractions and equations underpin all our lives.Inspired by the complexity of snowflakes, Anne Boleyn''s sixth finger or his mother''s unpredictable behaviour, Tammet explores questions such as why time seems to speed up as we age, whether there is such a thing as an average person and how we can make sense of those we love.Thinking in Numbers will change the way you think about maths and fire your imagination to see the world with fresh eyes.Trade ReviewThinking in Numbers is unprecedented: a pitch-perfect duet between mathematics and literature ... Mathematics, Tammet says, is illimitable. It is a language through which the human imagination expresses itself. Presumably this means mathematics has, or deserves, a literature. In Tammet, it already has a laureate. * New Scientist *A collection of essays on subjects as diverse as Shakespeare and Tolstoy, a rumination on snow and another on chess, as well as a fantastically nuanced piece about his mother. It is a collection which showcases Tammet's extraordinary talent . . . a writer of unique capabilities. * Scotsman Magazine *An interesting and often beautiful approach: Tammet writes well... and his love of numbers shines from the page... Tammet's discussion of big numbers is fascinating. * Daily Telegraph *Tammet's choice of subjects is personal, and wonderfully eclectic... What lifts Tammet's entertaining collection above the ordinary are the often surprising links that he sees, explores and explains. * Sunday Telegraph *Explores the 'what if' of maths and links it with literature and life. He is an exhilarating thinker, an exciting writer, and looks at the world with an eclectic, quizzical eye. * Saga magazine *Tammet is an accomplished writer with a prose style akin to a warm embrace... scintillating ... enlightens and entertains in (approximately) equal measure. * Daily Express *When he talks about his own extreme skills, such as his feat of pi memorisation, the book comes alive. * BBC Focus *Daniel Tammet's unique take on the world will prove that life - not just classroom maths - is more than just a numbers game. * Gay Times *As fluid with words as with numbers, his essays are artfully constructed: intriguing openings to entice us; interesting snippets of history; accessible but unpatronising tones; neat endings. * Independent *In Tammet's mind, literature, art and maths are united. For him, maths' real-life applications are not merely tax returns and restaurant bills, but the storytelling of an infinite subject and the reasoning behind our daily existence. * The Huffington Post *Thinking in Numbers is a mind-expanding, kinetic aesthetic experience. My mind shot off the page, spurred to see universal patterns very much alive in everything from the natural world we share to how imagery and metaphor occur in my own creative process. Tammet's poetic mathematics are beautiful guideposts for thinking about life and even love. As I read, I found myself saying, 'Yes, this is true, and this is true, and this is so true...' * Amy Tan *Always informative, always entertaining, Daniel Tammet never loses his respect for the mystery of the universe of number. * JM Coetzee *Born on a Blue Day introduced us to the extraordinary phenomenon of Daniel Tammet, and Thinking in Numbers enlarges one's wonder at Tammet's mind and his all-embracing vision of the world as grounded in numbers. * Oliver Sacks, MD *His aim with Thinking in Numbers is to show that mathematics can be as rich, inspiring and human as literature - and to "bruise" the line between fiction and non-fiction... he succeeds magnificently. * Times Literary Supplement *
£10.44
American Mathematical Society Geometry and the Imagination
Book SynopsisThis remarkable book has endured as a masterpiece of mathematical exposition. There are few mathematics books that are still so widely read and continue to have so much to offer-even after more than half a century. The book is overflowing with mathematical ideas, which are explained clearly and elegantly, and above all, with penetrating insight.Trade ReviewThis book is a masterpiece -- a delightful classic that should never go out of print. -- MAA Reviews [This] superb introduction to modern geometry was co-authored by David Hilbert, one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century. -- Steven StrogatzTable of Contents The simplest curves and surfaces Regular systems of points Projective configurations Differential geometry Kinematics Topology Index.
£54.90
Little, Brown Book Group Codebreaking
Book Synopsis''The best book on codebreaking I have read'', SIR DERMOT TURING ''Brings back the joy I felt when I first read about these things as a kid'', PHIL ZIMMERMANN ''This is at last the single book on codebreaking that you must have. If you are not yet addicted to cryptography, this book will get you addicted. Read, enjoy, and test yourself on history''s great still-unbroken messages!'' JARED DIAMOND is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse; and other international bestsellers''This is THE book about codebreaking. Very concise, very inclusive and easy to read'', ED SCHEIDT''Riveting'', MIKE GODWIN ''Approachable and compelling'', GLEN MIRANKERThis practical guide to breaking codes and solving cryptograms by two world experts, Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh, describes the most common encryption techniques along with methods to detect and break them. It fills a gap left by outdated or very bTrade ReviewThe enthusiasm of the writing will likely pull the reader through the book . . . a good introduction to cryptology. -- Chris Christensen * Cryptologia *Quite the best book on codebreaking I have read: clear, engaging and fun. A must for would-be recruits to GCHQ and the NSA! -- Sir Dermot Turing, author of Prof, the biography of his uncle, Alan TuringApproachable, accessible, this book brings back the joy I felt when I first read about these kinds of things as a kid. -- Phil Zimmermann, creator of PGP cryptography, inductee to the Internet Hall of FameThis is THE book about code breaking. Very concise, very inclusive, and easy to read. Good references for those who would make a code like Kryptos. -- Ed Scheidt, Central Intelligence AgencyWhat could be more exciting, challenging, mysterious, and important in war than codebreaking? What could be a safer way to send a compromising message to your secret lover than to encrypt the message? If you already love spy stories and tales of business skulduggery in supposedly unbreakable ciphers, this is at last the single book that you must have. If you are not yet addicted to cryptography, this book will get you addicted. Read, enjoy, and test yourself on history's great still-unbroken messages! -- Jared Diamond is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse; and other international bestsellersRiveting. Dunin and Schmeh show us that we each have our own inner codebreaker yearning to be set free. Codebreaking isn't just for super-geniuses with supercomputers, it's something we were all born to do. -- Mike Godwin, creator of Godwin’s Law, former general counsel, Wikimedia FoundationCodebreaking is a remarkable treatment of the art of decoding of hand-created codes. Clear and conversational in tone, it transforms a sometimes daunting topic into an approachable and compelling story. Its comprehensive survey of manual codes and techniques for cryptanalyzing them is thoroughly illustrated with real historical examples, from the Voynich Manuscript to the Zodiac Killer's encrypted messages. An excellent book for starting a deep-dive into cryptanalysis. -- Glen Miranker, former Chief Technology Officer, Apple ComputersThis is the book of my dreams: A super-clear, super-fun guide for solving secret messages of all kinds, from paper-and-pencil cryptograms to Enigma machines. With deep knowledge and skillful storytelling, Dunin and Schmeh capture the joy and power of codebreaking. -- Jason Fagone, author of the bestselling The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s EnemiesThis is the book we've all been waiting for, a page-turner packed with intrigue and mystery - the first practical book on codebreaking for the digital age. Code experts and enthusiasts Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh patiently explain the basic types of codes and ciphers, and how to detect which scheme is being used. Say you discover an aged letter covered with mysterious symbols tucked into an old book in the attic. An encrypted communication from a long-dead relative, no doubt. But what does it say? Fear no more. With over a hundred cloak-and-dagger examples, ranging from the Emperor Ferdinand II, the Holy Roman Emperor from the House of Habsburg in the 1640s; to the Zodiac Killer in northern California in the 1960s, this is what you need. What a great way to introduce a new generation to the romance of mathematics! -- Scott Kim, who gave The Art of Puzzles TED talk, puzzle designer for Discover and Scientific AmericanElonka and Klaus have created an incredible resource in this guidebook to codebreaking. In essence they found a code that needed breaking and solved it for us since a practical, up-to-date source like this did not yet exist. I cannot wait to use this book, not only to solve any cryptograms I might stumble across, but also to build new ones in my own works. An incredible, practical, up-to-date resource for codebreaking which has not existed up until now. -- Starr Long, former executive producer, Walt Disney CompanyA wonderful mix of ciphers. Beginners will be hooked on exploring the world of encryption, and those who are experienced will find much that is new. -- Craig Bauer, Editor-in-Chief of Cryptologia and author of Unsolved! The History and Mystery of the World's Greatest CiphersCryptography? Ciphers? I thought this would be an easy book to put down. I was very wrong. -- Steve Meretzky, co-author with Douglas Adams of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy computer gameWow! A book that promises to break the code to codebreaking itself. For more than a decade, I led a team of experts trying to decipher the levels of meaning in the pop-culture works of Dan Brown. Through the publication of several such guidebooks, Elonka Dunin stood out as primus inter pares among our experts on codes. I am putting this book on gift lists for many occasions and for numerous people! -- Dan Burstein, author and editor of the New York Times-bestseller, Secrets of the CodeA fun book telling the neat and weird secret histories, plus a practical guide to solving most any cipher. I wish that I had had a book like this back when I was in high school. -- Bradley Schaefer, founder of the MIT Mystery Hunt, Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State UniversityIf you're looking for a source book to learn the art and science of cracking codes, it's hard to find a better collection than the deep and well-documented collection in this book. The original cryptext is there along with the mathematical and practical tools for stripping away the layer of secrecy to read the information hidden inside. -- Peter Wayner, author of Disappearing Cryptography, Being and Nothingness on the NetElonka and Klaus are two of today's leaders in the analysis of unbroken ciphers, and with their book, you'll have the tools to join them. Codebreaking: A Practical Guide is a fantastic resource that describes not only the means and methods to break what once were considered unbreakable ciphers, but also contains intriguing histories and tales of how they've used these tools to attack real-world ciphers that have held their secrets for years. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's interested in learning the combination of deduction, intuition and perseverance involved in codebreaking. -- Wes Dafler, American Cryptogram AssociationA great resource for all types of codes and ciphers, and covers different parts of history and cultures with the respect that is deserved, including for Native Americans. -- Lonnie Henderson, Master Sergeant, United States Air Force (retired), Comanche code breakerA fascinating collection of the world's most interesting codes and ciphers and how to break them. Full of facts and fun. A must for anyone who enjoys solving quirky puzzles. -- Michael Smith, author of the #1 bestseller Station X: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park and The Emperor’s CodesPure genius meets joy in this truly one-of-a-kind compendium . . . This book will reward everyone from the curious novice to the invested researcher . . . all the while providing tools for readers to do their own explorations into the field. -- Dr Theda Daniels-Race, M. B. Voorhies Distinguished Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Louisiana State UniversityWhat a terrific cognitive romp through some of the most important cognitive puzzlers, challenges, sizzlers and stumpers throughout history, written by two of the brightest minds alive! Highly recommended for taking out one's aggression on cerebral challenges rather than, say, Twitter and Facebook friends. I cannot wait to curl up on the couch with this book and a strong cup of coffee. -- Dr Constance Steinkuehler, Informatics Professor, University of California, former Senior Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology PolicyTHROW YOUR OTHER BOOKS AWAY! This book goes well beyond the "how" by including historical examples, practical attacks and challenges to solve. This high-quality cryptography resource is all you need to truly understand many ciphers. -- Tyler Akins, developer, Cipher ToolsAt last a comprehensive book guiding readers through the world of codes and ciphers. Lots of general information for the casual reader, plus plenty of worked examples for enthusiasts. -- Joel Greenberg, author of Gordon Welchman: Bletchley Park’s Architect of Ultra Intelligence and Alastair Denniston: Code-Breaking from Room 40 to Berkeley Street and the Birth of GCHQFills a gap and is very welcome . . . Strongly recommended for anyone interested in classical ciphers. -- Paolo Bonavoglia, cryptologic historian, mathematics teacher at the Liceo Foscarini (retired)The crypto explorer's Baedeker. It introduces you to a variety of both famous and lesser known cryptograms throughout time, while it guides you carefully through the various processes of unraveling their secrets. -- Frode Weierud, CERN electronics engineer (retired), Visiting Research Scholar, Bletchley Park TrustPlainspoken and informative, Codebreaking: A Practical Guide shows the incredible depth of knowledge of the two authors while retaining a clarity most books of this sort have trouble duplicating. Both experts and novices will enjoy exploring the pages of this wonderful tome. -- John Feil, author of Beginning Game Level DesignIf you ever wondered about secret messages on old postcards and tombstones, in newspapers and telegrams, or are fascinated with famous unsolved riddles like the Voynich manuscript and the Kryptos sculpture, this book is for you. Dunin and Schmeh are two internationally known experts on cryptology, and here they show you step by step how to crack codes and ciphers from long before the earliest radio transmissions and interceptions to long after the commercial union of military technology and entertainment in networked computing. -- Peter Krapp, Professor of Media Studies and Informatics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, IrvineI have been a creator and solver of puzzles both virtual and physical my whole life, I even gave my wife a GPS-enabled puzzle box as a wedding present to lead her to our honeymoon. That being said, I could hardly imagine even approaching the problems Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh have tackled. Fortunately for my ego, there remain a few even Elonka has not yet solved. However, if you wish to start down the rabbit hole, there is no better place to start than Codebreaking: A Practical Guide. I even hear that there are a few other hidden secrets embedded in this book! Good luck! -- Richard Garriott, computer gaming pioneer, ‘Lord British’ (Ultima Online)I don't know if it's talent or genius . . . but these people are in a different world when it comes to good old logic and brains. It seems that codebreaking requires imagination, stamina and courage to follow its path to wherever it leads. Pure brilliance is barely enough to qualify for this gig. I could never decipher or encrypt anything in this category. I will never be solving cryptograms. But this book will take you on an amazing journey through an incredible maze. Darn exciting, I must say! -- David Lucas, award-winning composer, discoverer of Blue Öyster Cult, the cowbell guy!Cryptography can seem like a daunting subject, but in this book Elonka and Klaus have made it understandable, approachable, and most of all: fun! Filled with many real-world examples of the use of classical cryptography techniques, the book successfully conveys the authors' contagious passion for the art of uncovering hidden messages. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of applying the skills described in this book to unlock the mysterious secret messages. After reading this book you will be equipped with many tools to help you do it, too! -- Dave Oranchak founder of ZodiacKillerCiphers.com and host of Let’s Crack ZodiacCodebreaking: A Practical Guide is an extremely well-documented and enjoyable book written by Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh. The book provides an overview of all classical ciphers and explains with exemplary clarity how to solve them. Entertaining examples are given at each stage and challenges are presented to the reader. A long time has passed since we last saw a book dealing with the solving classical ciphers. This book is a must have in any amateur cryptographer's library. The historical perspective of the book is also extremely important as essential background to the rich history of our field for new students who will later specialize in the more mathematical aspects of modern cryptology. An excellent book! -- David Naccache, Fellow, International Association for Cryptologic ResearchBest suited for those who want to read about codebreaking with actual examples. Many specimens with images, ranging from encrypted postcards to historical messages, are conveniently classified in chapters and their solutions are explained. -- Satoshi Tomokiyo, webmaster of Cryptiana: Articles on Historical CryptographyA book with many interesting stories behind real historic cryptograms. These are clustered according to the ciphers behind. And the best thing: You are introduced to free and modern software to break them yourself. -- Bernhard Esslinger, Professor of Applied Cryptography at the University of Siegen, GermanyI'll say it in cleartext: This is the most useful book on codebreaking you can have in your library. -- A. J. JacobsEasy to grasp, amateur-friendly, full of real-life examples of encryption and systematically surveys the main encryption methods in a fresh way. A lovely starting manual for any crypto novice. -- Benedek Láng, Chair of Philosophy and History of Science Department, Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsA practical and engaging guide to the codes and ciphers that have been used throughout history. The story behind a code is often as important and compelling as the code itself, and Dunin and Schmeh never fail to deliver with each one they examine. -- Scott M. Jones, Director, Electronic Frontiers Forums Track at Dragon Con, AtlantaA comprehensive, yet accessible resource for a contemporary understanding of the past and present of codebreaking. The kind of resource that is useful for beginners, yet encyclopedic for more experienced readers. -- Lindsay Grace, Knight Chair of Interactive Media, University of Miami, School of CommunicationTakes a fresh approach to the art of codebreaking, providing many historical examples, each with a complete backstory. This book treats each cipher as a mystery waiting and wanting to be solved, and eagerly invites the reader to share in the excitement of cracking ciphers. -- Dr James Church, Associate Professor at Austin Peay State University, author of Learning Haskell Data AnalysisOne of the most helpful guides outside the National Security Agency (NSA) to cracking ciphers. But even if you don't become a codebreaker, this book is full of fascinating crypto lore. -- Steven Levy, New York Times-bestselling author of Crypto, Hackers, and Facebook: The Inside StoryA hands-on, roller-coaster ride through the cunning world of ciphers and codes. -- Nick Pelling, ciphermysteries.comTwo well-known code-breaking experts have joined forces and produced a book that takes a very practical look into how one solves historical ciphers, with a lot of useful theory along the way. -- René Zandbergen, author of The Voynich Manuscript: The World's Most Mysterious and Esoteric CodexA fascinating glimpse into the world of ciphers, codes, and secrets. It works equally well as a primer for the novice and as a reference for the enthusiast. Nznmvat! -- Raph Koster, author of bestselling game-design book, A Theory of FunI dare you to find a more diverse, a more mind-blowing, a more intriguing collection of stories about codes and code breaking. This isn't just a book about cryptography and cryptanalysis, it's a fascinating glimpse into humankind's use of secrecy and deception to serve a variety of interests. -- Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, author of the New York Times-bestselling nonfiction thriller, The Spy Who Couldn’t SpellMakes it easy for the reader to do a deep dive into the many codes and ciphers still unsolved. This is a fantastic guide to cryptography, Dunin and Schmeh do a masterful job of explaining most known methods complete with historical commentary. -- Foaad Khosmood, Associate Professor of Computer Science, California Polytechnic State University, co-founder of the Global Game JamA celebration of historical ciphers and codes - from how they work to how they can be broken. A gentle and enthralling introduction for the novice with scores of challenge problems, a guide for the student of classical cryptology, and a delight for the expert with dozens of unsolved problems to attack. -- Kent D. Boklan, National Security Agency-trained cryptologist, Professor of Computer Science at Queens College, City University of New YorkAn encyclopedia of practical code breaking with a variety of high-profile, real-life encrypted messages. It teaches everything from how to solve parts of the famous CIA Kryptos sculpture to encrypted prisoner messages and other crime mysteries. The book takes a firm position that such puzzles can actually be solved and decrypted, and provides expert guidance, methodology and examples. It is superbly illustrated and written, once you start reading, it is very hard to stop! It provides solid historical and cryptanalytic and linguistic background knowledge and it has great educational value. -- Nicolas Courtois, cryptology lecturer at University College LondonEssential reading for anyone interested in solving ciphers. Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh have well-established reputations as skilled writers about cryptology. This book excels, with over 100 examples of historical ciphers. Dunin and Schmeh explain how many were solved, while leaving others for enthusiasts to unravel. -- Ralph Erskine, co-editor of The Bletchley Park Codebreakers; member of the editorial board of CryptologiaFilled with over 200 classic and little-known enciphered documents and puzzles, this book guides the reader through the underlying principles of encipherment, the principles and processes involved in deciphering, and the ultimate outcome. -- Tom Perera, Enigma expertA fascinating look into the hidden world of making - and breaking - secret codes and ciphers, filled with intriguing stories of urgent messages sent by criminals, spies, and even lovers throughout history. -- Bob Bates, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, International Game Developers AssociationAn inspiring, profusely illustrated encyclopedia of challenges, set in their original cultural and historical context. A delight for experts and beginners. A thoughtful workbook companion to David Kahn's classic, The Codebreakers. -- Nicholas Gessler, PhD Anthropology, UCLA, Duke University (retired), author of 'The Computerman, the Cryptographer and the Physicist’ in Alan Turing: His Work and ImpactIt was time for a book like this. This masterpiece is both an extension as well as a successor of the existing and nowadays partially outdated works about (unsolved) codes and cryptography - from Helen F. Gaines to David Kahn. -- Tobias Schrödel, IT security expert and comedy-hacker, as seen on sternTVCryptography is but a game of secrets - who better than a game developer to walk you through the science, art, and history of this remarkable field? -- Dan Kaminsky, security researcher, Chief Scientist, White OpsThis brilliant, passionate, irresistible book has it all: twisty mystery, codebreaking, secrets, encrypted messages! What's not to love? -- Nancy Austin, co-author of New York Times #1 bestselling A Passion for ExcellenceThis book not only breaks down the art of codebreaking in a manner comprehensible to a layperson like myself, but it contextualizes it in a series of compelling vignettes; recounting encrypted secrets, schemes and mysteries woven into a history of human dramas, great and small. This combination of puzzle and story makes for an eminently devourable read! -- Tracy Butler, author and artist of the award-winning webcomic LackadaisyA treasure chest with a plethora of historical illustrations and photos chronicling cryptography dating from centuries ago all the way up to today.This is a great gift book for young and old, and a fitting augmentation to any library's collection. -- Joe Torre, Senior Hardware Engineer (retired), Amiga ComputersI hope this book will inspire more people to take an interest in the exciting hobby of cryptology. Well, at least that one prodigy who finally decodes the Voynich manuscript . . . -- Oliver Knörzer, author of the webcomic Sandra and WooQvjuh huqtydw jxyi reea, yj'i xqht je ijef coiubv vhec mhyjydw uluhojxydw yd syfxuhi! Vehjkdqjubo, Y qc qrbu je huiyij. -- Iecuedu Mu Vekdt, Rheaud qdt Ierrydw Ekjiytu qd Uisqfu HeecAnother kind of Applied Cryptography. -- Whitfield Diffie, Turing Laureate and member of the NSA Cryptologic Hall of Honor, creator of public-key cryptography
£15.29
