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Title: Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics
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Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
List Price: $16.00
Our Price: $7.49
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| Customer Reviews: |
| Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics by Penguin (Non-Classics) Just what I've been looking for! |
First things first: You have to really like maths to appreciate this book. If you have ever wondered how to prove Pythagoras' theorem geometrically, or would like to find out how Archimedes estimated pi, this is the book for you. If not, buy another.
The book has a good mix of stories, explanations and mathematical proofs. It actually answered questions I have been wondering about for a long time (proving Pythagoras' theorem and finding the formula for solving second order equations), but even if you are not the nerd I am, there is a big chance you will find this book fascinating. |
| Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics by Penguin (Non-Classics) Math Geeks Unite! |
| This is a great book whether you are a fan of, or a practicing mathematician. Good reading and a great library reference addition. |
| Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics by Penguin (Non-Classics) A nice book |
| This is a very nice and elegantly written book. The proofs of the theorems selected as great are presented in simple terms. They require no more then high school mathematics(although some of these proofs are not rigorous, for example on the summation of infinite series). The only problem I can see is with the choice of the theorems (too many from geometry) but of course that is a matter of taste. I would have given the book five stars if there had been a chapter on Godel's theorem in it. |
| Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics by Penguin (Non-Classics) Excellent history of great mathematical minds |
William Dunham is the author of several books on the history of mathematics.
In this brief history of mathematics and mathematicians, the author, rather than writing a little bit about a large number of mathematicians, has provided longer treatments of a few. The 'few', naturally, being the most talented/famous from the earliest days. To include:
Hippocrates
Euclid
Archimedes
Heron
Cardano
Newton
The Bernoullis
Leibniz
Euler
Cantor
This book spends some time building and describing mathematical problems and concepts in ways that the average reader will understand. He also relates biographical information about the people who worked on them. Some of the history is quite fascinating, such as the practice in the middle ages of public challanges between mathematicians to solve problems, much like a gun fight of the Wild West.
This would make a good volume in any library.
Math teachers should own (and read) this. |
| Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics by Penguin (Non-Classics) Journey through Genius |
| I think this book is a masterpiece! W. Dunham describes the history of mathematics by going over some of the most remarkable theorems and ideas along with their inventors and proofs. The book begins on Hippocrates' quadrature of the lune and ends on Cantor's infinite sets and one may just stand and wonder at the genius and creativity of people described in the book. The book is fun to read as it includes aspects satisfiable to all kind of readers and knowledge seekers. It talks about theorems, etc. providing lot of insight into problem solving and tools present in math. It describes biographies of key mathematicians in the history along with many stories. The book is also able to inspire people who would like to occupy a place in history, as I'm pretty sure the creativeness and inventivenss of people included may be very inspiring for others. |
| Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics by Penguin (Non-Classics) Product Description |
| Praise for William Dunhams Journey Through Genius The Great Theorems of Mathematics "Dunham deftly guides the reader through the verbal and logical intricacies of major mathematical questions and proofs, conveying a splendid sense of how the greatest mathematicians from ancient to modern times presented their arguments." Ivars Peterson Author, The Mathematical Tourist Mathematics and Physics Editor, Science News "It is mathematics presented as a series of works of art; a fascinating lingering over individual examples of ingenuity and insight. It is mathematics by lightning flash." Isaac Asimov "It is a captivating collection of essays of major mathematical achievements brought to life by the personal and historical anecdotes which the author has skillfully woven into the text. This is a book which should find its place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in science and the scientists who create it." R. L. Graham, AT&T Bell Laboratories "Come on a time-machine tour through 2,300 years in which Dunham drops in on some of the greatest mathematicians in history. Almost as if we chat over tea and crumpets, we get to know them and their ideasideas that ring with eternity and that offer glimpses into the often veiled beauty of mathematics and logic. And all the while we marvel, hoping that the tour will not stop." Jearl Walker, Physics Department, Cleveland State University Author of The Flying Circus of Physics |
| Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics by Penguin (Non-Classics) Amazon.com |
| In Journey through Genius, author William Dunham strikes an extraordinary balance between the historical and technical. He devotes each chapter to a principal result of mathematics, such as the solution of the cubic series and the divergence of the harmonic series. Not only does this book tell the stories of the people behind the math, but it also includes discussions and rigorous proofs of the relevant mathematical results. |
