Synopses & Reviews
At its heart, mathematics is about numbers, which in turn are vital to the way we understand the world. In
Professor Stewarts Incredible Numbers, Ian Stewart offers a delightful entrée into the wider, beautiful world of math through numbers as varied as Pi, 2, i, and -1. In each brief and accessible chapter, Stewart uses a number to introduce readers to an essential mathematical concept. Chapter 1.059463 (the twelfth root of 2, which is the ratio of the frequencies of successive notes on a musical scale) untangles the mathematics of sound and sound waves. Focusing on the Rubiks Cube, the improbable Chapter 43,252,003,274,489,856,000the total possible positionsdemonstrates how one would calculate that number.
With his characteristic wit and erudition, Stewart makes math easy, accessible, and interesting, allowing even the most math-phobic to confidently venture into the world of incredible numbers that surrounds us.
Review
Winner of the 2015 Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing About ScienceKirkus
Stewart receives an A for telling us how vast, wonderful and useful are all the members of the world of numbers.”
Synopsis
Renowned mathematician Ian Stewart uses remarkable (and some unremarkable) numbers to introduce readers to the beauty of mathematics.
At its heart, mathematics is about numbers, our fundamental tools for understanding the world. In Professor Stewart's Incredible Numbers, Ian Stewart offers a delightful introduction to the numbers that surround us, from the common (Pi and 2) to the uncommon but no less consequential (1.059463 and 43,252,003,274,489,856,000). Along the way, Stewart takes us through prime numbers, cubic equations, the concept of zero, the possible positions on the Rubik's Cube, the role of numbers in human history, and beyond An unfailingly genial guide, Stewart brings his characteristic wit and erudition to bear on these incredible numbers, offering an engaging primer on the principles and power of math.
Synopsis
At its heart, mathematics is about numbers, our fundamental tools for understanding the world. In
Professor Stewarts Incredible Numbers, Ian Stewart offers a delightful introduction to the numbers that surround us, from the common (Pi and 2) to the uncommon but no less consequential (1.059463 and 43,252,003,274,489,856,000). Along the way, Stewart takes us through prime numbers, cubic equations, the concept of zero, the possible positions on the Rubiks Cube, the role of numbers in human history, and beyond! An unfailingly genial guide, Stewart brings his characteristic wit and erudition to bear on these incredible numbers, offering an engaging primer on the principles and power of math.
About the Author
Ian Stewart is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick and Director of its Mathematics Awareness Centre. He is also a regular research visitor at the University of Houston, the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in Minneapolis, and the Santa Fe institute. His writing has appeared in
New Scientist,
Discover,
Scientific American, and many newspapers in the U.K. and U.S.
Table of Contents
Numbers
Small Numbers
Zero and Negative Numbers
Complex Numbers
Rational Numbers
Irrational Numbers
Special Small Numbers
Special Big Numbers
Infinite Numbers
Life, the Universe, and…