Synopses & Reviews
Most people are familiar with historyand#8217;s great equations: Newtonand#8217;s Law of Gravity, for instance, or Einsteinand#8217;s theory of relativity. But the way these mathematical breakthroughs have contributed to human progress is seldom appreciated. In In Pursuit of the Unknown, celebrated mathematician Ian Stewart untangles the roots of our most important mathematical statements to show that equations have long been a driving force behind nearly every aspect of our lives. Using seventeen of our most crucial equationsand#151;including the Wave Equation that allowed engineers to measure a buildingand#8217;s response to earthquakes, saving countless lives, and the Black-Scholes model, used by bankers to track the price of financial derivatives over timeand#151;Stewart illustrates that many of the advances we now take for granted were made possible by mathematical discoveries. An approachable, lively, and informative guide to the mathematical building blocks of modern life, In Pursuit of the Unknown is a penetrating exploration of how we have also used equations to make sense of, and in turn influence, our world.
Review
Publishers Weeklyand#147;Stewart shares his enthusiasm as well as his knowledge in this tour of ground-breaking equations and the research they supported.... An entertaining and illuminating collection of curious facts and histories suitable for random dipping-in or reading straight through.and#8221;
Kirkus Reviews
and#147;Stewart provides clear, cogent explanations of how the equations work without burdening the reader with cumbersome derivations.... He gives a fascinating explanation of how Newtonand#8217;s laws, when extended to three-body problems, are still used by NASA to calculate the best route from Earth to Mars and have laid the basis for chaos theory. Throughout, Stewartand#8217;s style is felicitous.and#8221;
Discover
and#147;Seemingly basic equations have enabled us to predict eclipses, engineer earthquake-proof buildings, and invent the refrigerator. In this lively volume, mathematician Ian Stewart delves into 17 equations that shape our daily existence, including those dreamed up by the likes of Einstein, Newton, and Erwin Schrand#246;dinger.and#8221;
Macleanand#8217;s
and#147;Stewart is the finest living math popularizerandmdash;a writer who can tackle eye-spraining mathematical topics approachably, and yet dazzle hard-core nerds with new and surprising information. It is hard not to get your moneyand#8217;s worth from him, and in a book like this he is at his best because of the very wide ground covered.and#8221;
Library Journal
and#147;Stewartand#8217;s expertise and his well-developed style (enhanced by a nice sense of humor) make for enjoyable reading.... [A] worthwhile and entertaining book, accessible to all readers. Recommended for anyone interested in the influence of mathematics on the development of science and on the emergence of our current technology-driven society.and#8221;
Washington Independent Review of Books
and#147;Stewart has managed to produce a remarkably readable, informative and entertaining volume on a subject about which few are as well informed as they would like to be.and#8221;
New York Journal of Books
and#147;Stewart is a genius in the way he conveys his excitement and sense of wonder.... He has that valuable grasp of not only what it takes to make equations interesting, but also to make science cool.and#8221;
Steve Mirsky, Scientific American
and#147;[Stewart] takes the reader on an engaging tour of vital math for a modern world.... I highly recommend Stewartand#8217;s wonderfully accessible book.and#8221;
Physics Today
and#147;In Pursuit of the Unknown is an interesting and highly entertaining book. It would make a great gift for a bright high school grandchild who has expressed interest in a technical life, or for a physicistand#8217;s own secret reading.and#8221;
Synopsis
"An engaging tour of vital math for a modern world.... A] wonderfully accessible book."--Scientific American
Most people are familiar with history's great equations: Newton's Law of Gravity, for instance, or Einstein's theory of relativity. But the way these mathematical breakthroughs have contributed to human progress is seldom appreciated. In In Pursuit of the Unknown, celebrated mathematician Ian Stewart untangles the roots of our most important mathematical statements to show that equations have long been a driving force behind nearly every aspect of our lives.
Using seventeen of our most crucial equations--including the Wave Equation that allowed engineers to measure a building's response to earthquakes, saving countless lives, and the Black-Scholes model, used by bankers to track the price of financial derivatives over time--Stewart illustrates that many of the advances we now take for granted were made possible by mathematical discoveries.
An approachable, lively, and informative guide to the mathematical building blocks of modern life, In Pursuit of the Unknown is a penetrating exploration of how we have also used equations to make sense of, and in turn influence, our world.
Synopsis
The seventeen equations that form the basis for life as we know it
Most people are familiar with history's great equations: Newton's Law of Gravity, for instance, or Einstein's theory of relativity. But the way these mathematical breakthroughs have contributed to human progress is seldom appreciated. In In Pursuit of the Unknown, celebrated mathematician Ian Stewart untangles the roots of our most important mathematical statements to show that equations have long been a driving force behind nearly every aspect of our lives.
Using seventeen of our most crucial equations--including the Wave Equation that allowed engineers to measure a building's response to earthquakes, saving countless lives, and the Black-Scholes model, used by bankers to track the price of financial derivatives over time--Stewart illustrates that many of the advances we now take for granted were made possible by mathematical discoveries.
An approachable, lively, and informative guide to the mathematical building blocks of modern life, In Pursuit of the Unknown is a penetrating exploration of how we have also used equations to make sense of, and in turn influence, our world.
Table of Contents
Why Equations?
1. The squaw on the hippopotamus
2. Shortening the proceedings
3. Ghosts of departed quantities
4. The system of the world
5. Portent of the ideal world
6. Much ado about knotting
7. Patterns of chance
8. Good vibrations
9. Ripples and blips
10. The ascent of humanity
11. Waves in the ether
12. Law and disorder
13. One thing is absolute
14. Quantum weirdness
15. Codes, communications, and computers
16. The imbalance of nature
17. The Midas formula
Where Next?