The Mathematical Universe: An Alphabetical Journey Through the Great Proofs, Problems, and PersonalitiesFrom the simple elegance of the Pythagorean theorem to the looking-glass world of Russell's Paradox and the summed infinities of integral calculus, experience the beauty and majesty of the mathematical universe. William Dunham, author of the popular Journey Through Genius, will give you a rare sampling of its joys. Writing in his trademark razor-sharp style, Dunham introduces a tantalizing selection of the great proofs, notorious disputes, and intriguing unsolved mysteries. Subjects range from the golden age of Greek geometry to the furthest frontier of infinite series. In chapters spanning the field from A to Z, discover the marvels of the Monte Carlo Method and the ancient riddle of Dido's Problem. Scale the heights of the Himalayas with famed surveyor Sir George Everest and puzzle over the fascinating conundrum of Fermat's Last Theorem. Dunham explores more than five thousand years of mathematical history, digging into the earliest records in Egypt, Babylon, India, and China, and turning up surprising tales and tidbits from modern times. All along the way, Dunham portrays the great masters of math at their work. In colorful anecdotes, the brilliant - often eccentric - luminaries chart the course of mathematical progress. Among them are the battling Bernoulli brothers, Jakob and Johann, who worked tirelessly to one-up each other's theorems; the famed Isaac Newton and largely forgotten Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who independently and virtually simultaneously discovered "the calculus"; and the exceptionally determined genius Sofia Kovalevskaia, who discovered the rules of trigonometry for herself when she was left without instruction. Your passport to rich rewards, The MathematicalUniverse is accessible to any reader with a basic knowledge of algebra and geometry. You will come away from this exhilarating book with a keen sense of the power and splendor of the magical mathematical world. |
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algebraic analytic geometry angle approximation Archimedes argument arithmetic Bernoulli Bernoulli trials Bertrand Russell called century Chapter circle circle's circumference compass and straightedge complex numbers construct course cube curve Descartes determine diagram diameter differential calculus discovery equal equation Erdös estimate Euclid Euler example factor Fermat formula fraction fundamental theorem Greek History of Mathematics Ibid inscribed instance irrational Jakob Jakob Bernoulli Kovalevskaia large numbers Leibniz length Leonhard Euler logical mathe mathematicians multiple natural numbers Newton Newton's method notation number theory observed odd number parabola perfect square perimeter Pierre de Fermat positive integers prime numbers problem proof proposition proved Pythagorean theorem question radius real numbers rectangle regular polygon René Descartes result right triangle shown in Figure simple slope solution sphere surface area symbol t₁ tion trisection whole numbers women words x₁ Zenodorus zero