The Joy of X

The Joy of X
Author: Steven Henry Strogatz
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 333
Release: 2012
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0547517653

A delightful tour of the greatest ideas of math, showing how math intersects with philosophy, science, art, business, current events, and everyday life, by an acclaimed science communicator and regular contributor to the "New York Times."

Infinite Powers

Infinite Powers
Author: Steven Strogatz
Publisher: Mariner Books
Total Pages: 389
Release: 2019
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1328879984

This is the captivating story of mathematics' greatest ever idea: calculus. Without it, there would be no computers, no microwave ovens, no GPS, and no space travel. But before it gave modern man almost infinite powers, calculus was behind centuries of controversy, competition, and even death. Taking us on a thrilling journey through three millennia, professor Steven Strogatz charts the development of this seminal achievement from the days of Aristotle to today's million-dollar reward that awaits whoever cracks Reimann's hypothesis. Filled with idiosyncratic characters from Pythagoras to Euler, Infinite Powers is a compelling human drama that reveals the legacy of calculus on nearly every aspect of modern civilization, including science, politics, ethics, philosophy, and much besides.

The Joy of SET

The Joy of SET
Author: Liz McMahon
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2019-07-09
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 0691192324

"Have you ever played the addictive card game SET? Have you ever wondered about the connections between games and mathematics? . . . The Joy of SET takes readers on a fascinating journey into this seemingly simple card game and reveals its surprisingly deep and diverse mathematical dimensions. Absolutely no mathematical background is necessary to enjoy this book - all you need is a sense of curiosity and adventure. Originally invented in 1974 by Marsha Falco and officially released in 1991, SET has gained a widespread, loyal following. SET's eighty-one cards consist of one, two, or three symbols of different shapes (diamond, oval, squiggle), shadings (solid, striped, open), and colors (green, purple, red). In order to win, players must identify 'sets' of three cards for which each characteristic is the same - or different - on all the cards. SET's strategic and unique design opens connections to a plethora of mathematical disciplines, including geometry, modular arithmetic, combinatorics, probability, linear algebra, and computer simulations. The Joy of SET looks at these areas as well as avenues for further mathematical exploration. As the authors show, the relationship between SET and mathematics runs in both directions - playing this game has generated new mathematics, and the math has led to new questions about the game itself."--Provided by publisher.

Figuring: The Joy Of Numbers

Figuring: The Joy Of Numbers
Author: Shakuntala Devi
Publisher: Orient Paperbacks
Total Pages: 164
Release: 2005-03
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 9788122200386

There is a range and richness to numbers. They can come alive, cease to be symbols written on a black board, and lead the reader into a world of intellectual adventure where calculations are thrilling. In Figuring: The Joy of Numbers, Shakuntala Devi dramatizes the endless fascination of numbers and their ability to amaze and entertain. She offers easy-to-learn short cuts on how to add long columns in your head, multiply, divide, and find square roots quickly, almost magically. Fractions, decimals, and compound interest become clear and easy to deal with. The author takes delight in working out huge problems mentally, and sometimes even faster than computers. In Figuring she shares her secrets with you.

The Calculus of Friendship

The Calculus of Friendship
Author: Steven Strogatz
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2011-03-07
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1400830885

The Calculus of Friendship is the story of an extraordinary connection between a teacher and a student, as chronicled through more than thirty years of letters between them. What makes their relationship unique is that it is based almost entirely on a shared love of calculus. For them, calculus is more than a branch of mathematics; it is a game they love playing together, a constant when all else is in flux. The teacher goes from the prime of his career to retirement, competes in whitewater kayaking at the international level, and loses a son. The student matures from high school math whiz to Ivy League professor, suffers the sudden death of a parent, and blunders into a marriage destined to fail. Yet through it all they take refuge in the haven of calculus--until a day comes when calculus is no longer enough. Like calculus itself, The Calculus of Friendship is an exploration of change. It's about the transformation that takes place in a student's heart, as he and his teacher reverse roles, as they age, as they are buffeted by life itself. Written by a renowned teacher and communicator of mathematics, The Calculus of Friendship is warm, intimate, and deeply moving. The most inspiring ideas of calculus, differential equations, and chaos theory are explained through metaphors, images, and anecdotes in a way that all readers will find beautiful, and even poignant. Math enthusiasts, from high school students to professionals, will delight in the offbeat problems and lucid explanations in the letters. For anyone whose life has been changed by a mentor, The Calculus of Friendship will be an unforgettable journey.

The Joy of Finite Mathematics

The Joy of Finite Mathematics
Author: Chris P. Tsokos
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 556
Release: 2015-10-27
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0128029854

The Joy of Finite Mathematics: The Language and Art of Math teaches students basic finite mathematics through a foundational understanding of the underlying symbolic language and its many dialects, including logic, set theory, combinatorics (counting), probability, statistics, geometry, algebra, and finance. Through detailed explanations of the concepts, step-by-step procedures, and clearly defined formulae, readers learn to apply math to subjects ranging from reason (logic) to finance (personal budget), making this interactive and engaging book appropriate for non-science, undergraduate students in the liberal arts, social sciences, finance, economics, and other humanities areas. The authors utilize important historical facts, pose interesting and relevant questions, and reference real-world events to challenge, inspire, and motivate students to learn the subject of mathematical thinking and its relevance. The book is based on the authors' experience teaching Liberal Arts Math and other courses to students of various backgrounds and majors, and is also appropriate for preparing students for Florida's CLAST exam or similar core requirements. - Highlighted definitions, rules, methods, and procedures, and abundant tables, diagrams, and graphs, clearly illustrate important concepts and methods - Provides end-of-chapter vocabulary and concept reviews, as well as robust review exercises and a practice test - Contains information relevant to a wide range of topics, including symbolic language, contemporary math, liberal arts math, social sciences math, basic math for finance, math for humanities, probability, and the C.L.A.S.T. exam - Optional advanced sections and challenging problems are included for use at the discretion of the instructor - Online resources include PowerPoint Presentations for instructors and a useful student manual

The Joy of Search

The Joy of Search
Author: Daniel M. Russell
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2023-06-06
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0262546078

How to be a great online searcher, demonstrated with step-by-step searches for answers to a series of intriguing questions (for example, “Is that plant poisonous?”). We all know how to look up something online by typing words into a search engine. We do this so often that we have made the most famous search engine a verb: we Google it—“Japan population” or “Nobel Peace Prize” or “poison ivy” or whatever we want to know. But knowing how to Google something doesn't make us search experts; there's much more we can do to access the massive collective knowledge available online. In The Joy of Search, Daniel Russell shows us how to be great online researchers. We don't have to be computer geeks or a scholar searching out obscure facts; we just need to know some basic methods. Russell demonstrates these methods with step-by-step searches for answers to a series of intriguing questions—from “what is the wrong side of a towel?” to “what is the most likely way you will die?” Along the way, readers will discover essential tools for effective online searches—and learn some fascinating facts and interesting stories. Russell explains how to frame search queries so they will yield information and describes the best ways to use such resources as Google Earth, Google Scholar, Wikipedia, and Wikimedia. He shows when to put search terms in double quotes, how to use the operator (*), why metadata is important, and how to triangulate information from multiple sources. By the end of this engaging journey of discovering, readers will have the definitive answer to why the best online searches involve more than typing a few words into Google.

The Joy of Sets

The Joy of Sets
Author: Keith Devlin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 204
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 146120903X

This text covers the parts of contemporary set theory relevant to other areas of pure mathematics. After a review of "naïve" set theory, it develops the Zermelo-Fraenkel axioms of the theory before discussing the ordinal and cardinal numbers. It then delves into contemporary set theory, covering such topics as the Borel hierarchy and Lebesgue measure. A final chapter presents an alternative conception of set theory useful in computer science.