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Original Essays | December 12, 2009

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E: The Story of a Number

by Eli Maor

E: The Story of a Number Cover

ISBN13: 9780691058542
ISBN10: 0691058547
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The 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 only a modest background in mathematics, this biography of e brings out that number's central importance in mathematics and illuminates a golden era in the age of science.

Review:

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.

Review:

Maor attempts to give the irrational number 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.

Review:

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.

Synopsis:

The 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 only a modest background in mathematics, this biography of e brings out that number's central importance in mathematics and illuminates a golden era in the age of science.

Description:

Includes bibliographical references (p. [217]-219) and index.
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Table of Contents

Preface
1John Napier, 16143
2Recognition11
3Financial Matters23
4To the Limit, If It Exists28
5Forefathers of the Calculus40
6Prelude to Breakthrough49
7Squaring the Hyperbola58
8The Birth of a New Science70
9The Great Controversy83
10e[superscript x]: The Function That Equals its Own Derivative98
11e[superscript theta]: Spira Mirabilis114
12(e[superscript x] + e[superscript -x])/2: The Hanging Chain140
13e[superscript ix]: "The Most Famous of All Formulas"153
14e[superscript x + iy]: The Imaginary Becomes Real164
15But What Kind of Number Is It?183
App. 1. Some Additional Remarks on Napier's Logarithms195
App. 2. The Existence of lim (1 + 1/n)[superscript n] as n [approaches] [infinity]197
App. 3. A Heuristic Derivation of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus200
App. 4. The Inverse Relation between lim (b[superscript h] - 1)/h = 1 and lim (1 + h)[superscript 1/h] = b as h [approaches] 0202
App. 5. An Alternative Definition of the Logarithmic Function203
App. 6. Two Properties of the Logarithmic Spiral205
App. 7. Interpretation of the Parameter [phi] in the Hyperbolic Functions208
App. 8. e to One Hundred Decimal Places211
Bibliography213
Index217

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780691058542
Subtitle:
The Story of a Number
Author:
Maor, Eli
Publisher:
Princeton University Press
Location:
Princeton, N.J. :
Subject:
Number Theory
Subject:
History -- Philosophy.
Subject:
e (The number)
Subject:
English language teaching (ELT)
Subject:
e
Subject:
History
Subject:
History of Science and Medicine, Philosophy of Science
Subject:
Mathematics
Copyright:
1998
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Publication Date:
May 1998
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
College/higher education:
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
232
Dimensions:
9.28x6.30x.54 in. .78 lbs.
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