Synopses & Reviews
Why was the number of Hardy's taxi significant? Why does Graham's number need its own notation? How many grains of sand would fill the universe? What is the connection between the Golden Ratio and sunflowers?
All these questions and a host more are answered in this fascinating book, which has now been revised, with nearly 200 new entries and hundreds of additions to the original entries. From minus one and its square root -- via cyclic, weird, perfect, untouchable, and lucky numbers; Pascal's triangle and the Syracuse algorithm; music, magic, and maps; pancakes, polyhedrons, and palindromes -- to numbers so large that they boggle the imagination, all you ever wanted to know about numbers is compiled here with a comprehensive index.
Synopsis
Everything you wanted to know about numbers is included in this book, including aliquot sequences, the cattle problem, Pascal's triangle, and the Syracuse algorithm.
Why was the number of Hardy's taxi significant? Why does Graham's number need its own notation? How many grains of sand would fill the universe? What is the connection between the Golden Ratio and sunflowers? Why is 999 more than a distress call?
All these questions and a host more are answered in this fascinating book, now revised with nearly 200 extra entries as well as 250 additions to the original entries. There is even a comprehensive index for those annoying occasions when you remember the name but can't recall the number.
Synopsis
This dictionary of numbers, arranged in order of magnitude, exposes the fascinating facts about certain numbers and number sequences. The aim of the book is to entertain and enthral the reader, which it certainly does.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. xix-[xx]) and index.