Bestselling author and astrophysicist Mario Livio examines the lives and theories of history's greatest mathematicians to ask how--if mathematics is an abstract construction of the human mind--it can so perfectly explain the physical world.
Nobel Laureate Eugene Wigner once wondered about "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" in the formulation of the laws of nature. Is God a Mathematician? investigates why mathematics is as powerful as it is. From ancient times to the present, scientists and philosophers have marveled at how such a seemingly abstract discipline could so perfectly explain the natural world. More than that--mathematics has often made predictions, for example, about subatomic particles or cosmic phenomena that were unknown at the time, but later were proven to be true. Is mathematics ultimately invented or discovered? If, as Einstein insisted, mathematics is "a product of human thought that is independent of experience," how can it so accurately describe and even predict the world around us? Physicist and author Mario Livio brilliantly explores mathematical ideas from Pythagoras to the present day as he shows us how intriguing questions and ingenious answers have led to ever deeper insights into our world. This fascinating book will interest anyone curious about the human mind, the scientific world, and the relationship between them.
Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.
Preempt your anxiety about PRE-ALGEBRA
Ready to learn math fundamentals but can't seem to get your brain to function? No problem Add Pre-Algebra Demystified, Second Edition, to the equation and you'll solve your dilemma in no time.
Written in a step-by-step format, this practical guide begins by covering whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, and percents. You'll move on to expressions, equations, measurement, and graphing. Operations with monomials and polynomials are also discussed. Detailed examples, concise explanations, and worked problems make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning.
It's a no-brainer You'll learn:
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, and algebraic expressions
- Techniques for solving equations and problems
- Measures of length, weight, capacity, and time
- Methods for plotting points and graphing lines
Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Pre-Algebra Demystified, Second Edition, helps you master this essential mathematics subject. It's also the perfect way to review the topic if all you need is a quick refresh.
xn + yn = zn, where n represents 3, 4, 5, ...no solution
"I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain." With these words, the seventeenth-century French mathematician Pierre de Fermat threw down the gauntlet to future generations. What came to be known as Fermat's Last Theorem looked simple; proving it, however, became the Holy Grail of mathematics, baffling its finest minds for more than 350 years. In Fermat's Enigma--based on the author's award-winning documentary film, which aired on PBS's "Nova"--Simon Singh tells the astonishingly entertaining story of the pursuit of that grail, and the lives that were devoted to, sacrificed for, and saved by it. Here is a mesmerizing tale of heartbreak and mastery that will forever change your feelings about mathematics.
This classroom text presents a detailed review of all topics prescribed as part of the high school curriculum. Separate chapters analyze and explain: the language of geometry; parallel lines and polygons; congruent triangles and inequalities; special quadrilaterals and coordinates; similarity (including ratio and proportion, and proving products equal); right triangles and trigonometry; circles and angle measurement; transformation geometry; locus and coordinates; and working in space (an introduction to solid geometry). Each chapter includes practice exercises with answers provided at the back of the book.
"Cast off the curse of calculus "
Students no longer have anything to fear: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Calculus, Second Edition," is here. Like its predecessor, it was created with an audience of students working toward a non-science related degree in mind. A non-intimidating, easy-to-understand textbook companion, this new edition has more explanatory graphs and illustrations and double the number of practice problems.
First edition of this book has sold more copies than any of the other 70+ books on the subject
Twice as many practice problems in this second edition
More college students are now required to take calculus in college than ever before
Author is an award-winning calculus teacher praised for his ability to make this topic fun and approachable
His website, calculus-help.com, reaches thousands of students every month"
Were it not for the calculus, mathematicians would have no way to describe the acceleration of a motorcycle or the effect of gravity on thrown balls and distant planets, or to prove that a man could cross a room and eventually touch the opposite wall. Just how calculus makes these things possible and in doing so finds a correspondence between real numbers and the real world is the subject of this dazzling book by a writer of extraordinary clarity and stylistic brio. Even as he initiates us into the mysteries of real numbers, functions, and limits, Berlinski explores the furthest implications of his subject, revealing how the calculus reconciles the precision of numbers with the fluidity of the changing universe.
"An odd and tantalizing book by a writer who takes immense pleasure in this great mathematical tool, and tries to create it in others."--New York Times Book Review
Our society is churning out more numbers than ever before, whether in the form of spreadsheets, brokerage statements, survey results, or just the numbers on the sports pages. Unfortunately, people's ability to understand and analyze numbers isn't keeping pace with today's whizzing data streams. And the benefits of living in the Information Age are available only to those who can process the information in front of them.
What the Numbers Say offers remedies to this national problem. Through a series of witty and engaging discussions, the authors introduce original quantitative concepts, skills, and habits that reduce even the most daunting numerical challenges to simple, bite-sized pieces. Why do the nutritional values on a Cheerios box appear different in Canada than in the U.S.? How is it that top-performing mutual funds often lose money for the majority of their shareholders? Why was the scoring system for Olympic figure skating doomed even without biased judges? By anchoring their discussions in real-world scenarios, Derrick Niederman and David Boyum show that skilled quantitative thinking involves old-fashioned logic, not advanced mathematical tools. Useful in an endless number of situations, What the Numbers Say is the practical guide to navigating today's data-rich world.
Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.
Your SOLUTION to mastering ALGEBRA
Trying to tackle algebra but nothing's adding up? No problem Factor in Algebra Demystified, Second Edition and multiply your chances of learning this important branch of mathematics.
Written in a step-by-step format, this practical guide covers fractions, variables, decimals, negative numbers, exponents, roots, and factoring. Techniques for solving linear and quadratic equations and applications are discussed in detail. Clear examples, concise explanations, and worked problems with complete solutions make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning.
It's a no-brainer You'll learn how to:
- Translate English sentences into mathematical symbols
- Write the negative of numbers and variables
- Factor expressions
- Use the distributive property to expand expressions
- Solve applied problems
Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Algebra Demystified, Second Edition helps you master this essential math subject. It's also the perfect resource for preparing you for higher level math classes and college placement tests.
Infinity is a concept that fascinates everyone from a seven-year-old child to a maths professor. An exploration of the most mind-boggling feature of maths and physics, this work examines amazing paradoxes and looks at many features of this fascinating concept.
