Synopses & Reviews
Paul Erdand#245;s, one of the greatest mathematicians of the twentieth century, and certainly the most eccentric, was internationally recognized as a prodigy by age seventeen. Hungarian-born Erdand#245;s believed that the meaning of life was to prove and conjecture. His work in the United States and all over the world has earned him the titles of the century's leading number theorist and the most prolific mathematician who ever lived. Erdand#245;s's important work has proved pivotal to the development of computer science, and his unique personality makes him an unforgettable character in the world of mathematics. Incapable of the smallest of household tasks and having no permanent home or job, he was sustained by the generosity of colleagues and by his own belief in the beauty of numbers. andlt;BRandgt; Witty and filled with the sort of mathematical puzzles that intrigued Erdand#245;s and continue to fascinate mathematicians today, andlt;Iandgt;My Brain Is Openandlt;/Iandgt; is the story of this strange genius and a journey in his footsteps through the world of mathematics, where universal truths await discovery like hidden treasures and where brilliant proofs are poetry.
Review
Russ Cardwell andlt;Iandgt;The Post and Courierandlt;/Iandgt; (Charleston, SC) andlt;Iandgt;My Brain Is Openandlt;/Iandgt; is a lively romp through Erdand#245;s' globe-trotting life and into the surreal, exclusive club of the world's great mathematicians.
Review
Paul Erdõs If numbers aren't beautiful, I don't know what is.
Review
Russ Cardwell
The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
My Brain Is Open is a lively romp through Erdõs' globe-trotting life and into the surreal, exclusive club of the world's great mathematicians.
Review
Doug Wyatt andlt;Iandgt;Savannah Morning Newsandlt;/Iandgt; Schechter, with insight, considerable affection, and high humor, admirably intertwines accounts of [Erdand#245;s's] bizarre life with an appreciation of his remarkable achievements.
Review
Paul ErdõsIf numbers aren't beautiful, I don't know what is.
Review
Michael Hopkins andlt;Iandgt;Milwaukee Journal Sentinelandlt;/Iandgt; Bruce Schechter pulls back the curtain on the peculiar life of the world's most prolific mathematician....We feel so connected to this obsessed gentleman that we regret never having met him.
Review
K.C. Cole author of andlt;Iandgt;The Universe and the Teacup: The Mathematics of Truth and Beautyandlt;/Iandgt; With affection, insight, and humor, Bruce Schechter invites us into the wacky world of mathematical genius Paul Erdand#245;s -- one of the strangest characters to inhabit the world of science. Schechter does an admirably agile job of interweaving real mathematics with the far side of human nature.
Review
Paul Erdand#245;s If numbers aren't beautiful, I don't know what is.
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Bruce Schechterandlt;/Bandgt; holds a Ph.D. in physics from M.I.T. and is a former editor at andlt;Iandgt;Physics Todayandlt;/Iandgt; and a former staff writer at andlt;Iandgt;Discover.andlt;/Iandgt; He is the author of andlt;Iandgt;The Path of No Resistance,andlt;/Iandgt; a book about superconductivity.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;1.andlt;/Bandgt; Travelingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;2.andlt;/Bandgt; Proofandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;3.andlt;/Bandgt; Contactandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;4.andlt;/Bandgt; The Happy End Problemandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;5.andlt;/Bandgt; Erdand#245;s and the Fate of Western Civilizationandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;6.andlt;/Bandgt; Paradise Lostandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;7.andlt;/Bandgt; The Joy of Setsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;8.andlt;/Bandgt; The Primes of Dr. Paul Erdand#245;sandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;9.andlt;/Bandgt; Sam and Joe and Uncle Paulandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;10.andlt;/Bandgt; Six Degrees of Collaborationandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Note on Sourcesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Bibliographyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Index