Sheer Pleasure of Mathematics !
Discover the sheer pleasure of mathematics with this curated reading list featuring Prime Obsession by John Derbyshire and The Mathematical Tourist by Ivars Peterson—perfect for math lovers seeking engaging books on the beauty, history, and wonder of numbers.
Book
The Mathematical Tourist
by Ivars Peterson
In the first edition of The Mathematical Tourist, renowned science journalist Ivars Peterson took readers on an unforgettable tour through the sometimes bizarre, but always fascinating, landscape of modern mathematics. Now the journey continues in a new, updated edition that includes all the latest information on mathematical proofs, fractals, prime numbers, and chaos, as well as new material on * the relationship between mathematical knots and DNA * how computers based on quantum logic can significantly speed up the factoring of large composite numbers * the relationship between four-dimensional geometry and physical theories of the nature of matter * the application of cellular automata models to social questions and the peregrinations of virtual ants * a novel mathematical model of quasicrystals based on decagon-shaped tiles Blazing a trail through rows of austere symbols and dense lines of formulae, Peterson explores the central ideas behind the work of professional mathematicians-- how and where their pieces of the mathematical puzzle fit in, the sources of their ideas, their fountains of inspiration, and the images that carry them from one discovery to another.
Book
Prime Obsession
by John Derbyshire
The definitive story of the Riemann Hypothesis, a fascinating and epic mathematical mystery that continues to challege the world. In 1859, Bernhard Riemann, a little-known thirty-two year old mathematician, made a hypothesis while presenting a paper to the Berlin Academy titled “On the Number of Prime Numbers Less Than a Given Quantity.” Today, after 150 years of careful research and exhaustive study, the Riemann Hyphothesis remains unsolved, with a one-million-dollar prize earmarked for the first person to conquer it. Alternating passages of extraordinarily lucid mathematical exposition with chapters of elegantly composed biography and history, Prime Obsession is a fascinating and fluent account of an epic mathematical mystery that continues to challenge and excite the world.
