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The Music of the Primes: Searching to Solve the Greatest Mystery in Mathematics

by Marcus Du Sautoy

Average based on 1 comment. Synopses & Reviews Customer Comments (1) ISBN13: 9780060935580 ISBN10: 0060935588 Condition: Standard All Product Details Only 1 left in stock at $8.50!

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In 1859, German mathematician Bernhard Riemann presented a paper to the Berlin Academy that would forever change the history of mathematics. The subject was the mystery of prime numbers. At the heart of the presentation was an idea that Riemann had not yet proved but one that baffles mathematicians to this day.

Solving the Riemann Hypothesis could change the way we do business, since prime numbers are the lynchpin for security in banking and e-commerce. It would also have a profound impact on the cutting-edge of science, affecting quantum mechanics, chaos theory, and the future of computing. Leaders in math and science are trying to crack the elusive code, and a prize of $1 million has been offered to the winner. In this engaging book, Marcus du Sautoy reveals the extraordinary history behind the holy grail of mathematics and the ongoing quest to capture it.

Review:

"[W]ill draw readers normally indifferent to the subject deep into the adventure of mathematics." Booklsit

Review:

"An amazing book! Du Sautoy provides a stunning journey into the wonderful world of primes." Oliver Sacks

Review:

"[Du Sautoy's] discussion of the Riemann Hypothesis itself...can lapse into metaphors...that are long on sublime atmospherics but short on meaningful explanation." Publishers Weekly

Review:

"A Royal Society research fellow takes the Riemann Hypothesis, reputedly the most difficult of all math problems, as the focus for his lively history of number theory....Du Sautoy keeps the story moving and gives a clear sense of the way number theory is played in his accessible text. A must for math buffs." Kirkus Reviews

Book News Annotation:

In their quest for the solution to the 1859 Reimann Hypothesis, the "Holy Grail" wrought of the mystery of prime numbers, mathematicians have developed aspects of number theory, logic, geometry, analysis, logic, probability theory, chaos theory, and quantum physics. Du Sautoy (mathematics, Oxford U.) describes how these various heroes and sinners blow apart the mathematical world of the Greeks in their search, develop startling theories, succeed, fail, and, it appears, incessantly persevere in their search for a definitive answer.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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About the Author

Marcus du Sautoy is the Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. The author of The Music of the Primes, he is a frequent contributor on mathematics to newspapers and radio, and has hosted several programs for BBC television. He lives in London.

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

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Melissa Kinsey, December 11, 2007 (view all comments by Melissa Kinsey)
The demand for proof is a curiously mathematical phenomenon. Even when mathematicians are convinced of the truth of a hypothesis, even when physical evidence is overwhelmingly in support of it, still they demand conclusive logical proof. In this "story" of the search for a proof of Riemann's Hypothesis, which deals with prime numbers, duSautoy examines the question of what allows us to progress. There are stories of genius inhibited by the strictures of the time, stories of genius unfettered by formal education, stories of collaboration that result in better work than either collaborator could have contributed. It is a story of numbers, yes, but in the context of human nature and our singular drive to understand our world.

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780060935580

Author:

Du Sautoy, Marcus

Publisher:

Harper Perennial

Author:

by Marcus du Sautoy

Author:

Bork, Robert H.

Subject:

General

Subject:

Number Theory

Subject:

History -- Philosophy.

Subject:

General Mathematics

Subject:

General Political Science

Subject:

Mathematics-Number Theory

Copyright:

2004

Edition Description:

Trade PB

Publication Date:

20040431

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Grade Level:

General/trade

Language:

English

Illustrations:

Y

Pages:

352

Dimensions:

9 x 6 x 1.41 in 21.20 oz

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The Music of the Primes: Searching to Solve the Greatest Mystery in Mathematics Used Trade Paper Marcus Du Sautoy

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$8.50 In Stock

Product details 352 pages Perennial - 2010-03-18 English 9780060935580 Reviews:

"Review" by Booklsit, "[W]ill draw readers normally indifferent to the subject deep into the adventure of mathematics."

"Review" by Oliver Sacks, "An amazing book! Du Sautoy provides a stunning journey into the wonderful world of primes."

"Review" by Publishers Weekly, "[Du Sautoy's] discussion of the Riemann Hypothesis itself...can lapse into metaphors...that are long on sublime atmospherics but short on meaningful explanation."

"Review" by Kirkus Reviews, "A Royal Society research fellow takes the Riemann Hypothesis, reputedly the most difficult of all math problems, as the focus for his lively history of number theory....Du Sautoy keeps the story moving and gives a clear sense of the way number theory is played in his accessible text. A must for math buffs."