Prime Numbers: The Most Mysterious Figures in Math 1st Edition by David Wells (PDF)

Description

A fascinating journey into the mind-bending world of prime numbersCicadas of the genus Magicicada appear once every 7, 13, or 17 years. Is it just a coincidence that these are all prime numbers? How do twin primes differ from cousin primes, and what on earth (or in the mind of a mathematician) could be sexy about prime numbers? What did Albert Wilansky find so fascinating about his brother-in-law’s phone number?Mathematicians have been asking questions about prime numbers for more than twenty-five centuries, and every answer seems to generate a new rash of questions. In Prime Numbers: The Most Mysterious Figures in Math, you’ll meet the world’s most gifted mathematicians, from Pythagoras and Euclid to Fermat, Gauss, and Erd?o?s, and you’ll discover a host of unique insights and inventive conjectures that have both enlarged our understanding and deepened the mystique of prime numbers. This comprehensive, A-to-Z guide covers everything you ever wanted to know–and much more that you never suspected–about prime numbers, including:* The unproven Riemann hypothesis and the power of the zeta function* The “Primes is in P” algorithm* The sieve of Eratosthenes of Cyrene* Fermat and Fibonacci numbers* The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search* And much, much more

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I’ve yet to see a more comprehensive list of elementary facts and conjectures about prime numbers. The text is, sadly, in dire need of a serious errata. Trying to learn some of the results presented in this text can be frustrating, because there are some mistakes that require previous knowledge to detect!

⭐It was an excellent read, and has a few tricks for simple mathematics. Arrived in excellent condition and on time. Overall I was very satisfied with the seller.

⭐Very good book. I’m not a math pro, but I foundit very interesting.

⭐I found this book useful,informative and entertaining.It is not a text for learning Prime Number Theory butan Encyclopedia with the main topics on primes.The book have plenty space for annoting news or findingsby the reader.It is important to advert the main errata:Pag 6It says : “r(n) = 1/n”It must say: “r(n) = n/6″Pag. 14It says : “n^4 + 1 = (n^2 – n + 1)(n^2 + n +1)”It must say: “n^4/4 + 1 = (n^2/2 – n + 1)(n^2/2 + n +1)”Pag 38There are 50 digitsIt must be 96 digits.Pag 45It says : “the sum of all the primes p”It must say: “the sum of all the primes inverses 1/p”Pag 72It says : “2^24 / (27!. 76977927. pi^26)It must say: “2^24. pi^26 / (26!. 76977927)Pag 91It says : “Every number is the sum of three cubes”It must say: “Every number is the sum of 9 cubes”Pag 122It says : “conjetured that p(x+y) >= p(x) + p(y)”It must say: “conjetured that pi(x+y) >= pi(x) + pi(y)”Pag. 124It says : “equal to pi2(x). Product(p – 1)(p – 2)It must say: “ëqual to pi2(x). Product(p – 1)/(p – 2)Pag 160It says : “such that A^(3^n) is prime”It must say: “such that [A^(3^n)] is prime”Pag 182It says : “of the order of x^(1/2.log(x))”It must say: “of the order of x^(1/2).log(x)”Ludovicus

⭐Yes, as others have said, this book is more like a dictionary or an encyclopedia than a textbook or an introduction to primes. The primary problem with this approach is that the subjects are presented in alphabetical order. There is thus no cohesiveness or continuity to the material. For example, the abundant numbers are discussed on p.7, but the closely related deficient numbers don’t appear until p.40, and the perfect numbers, related to both, don’t show up until p.170. They should all be discussed in the same section.

⭐As ever David Wells has written a most fascinating and highly enjoyable book. Anyone au fait with any of Mr Wells other works will know them to be of the “pop” maths book style, Mr Wells being one of the great expositors of this gendre, bringing deep concepts and a full knowledge of his topic to a wide audience, always with a great sense of humour and fun. Here David Wells has written a fascinating and intellectual book on primes; primes are the key to the number system and are as mysterious and fascinating as the cover suggests. In Wells inimitable style, always delighting us with the history of his subject and treating us to some new tricks up his sleeve, we are whizzed through a dictionary of prime facts and conclusions and non-conclusions (it’s a book about primes), the subject is vast, and Wells flys through the matters of the primes in number theory in a readable and thorough listing of those facts he illustrates. Buy Primes, I know you’ll love it as much as I did.

⭐This book is a mathematical comedy. For most of us prime numbers have no value beyond a bit of curiosity — if you’re into cryptology of course then you’re looking at a horse of an entirely different color.Prime numbers have been thought about, played with, studied, been the subject of prizes. The Clay prizes were offered on May 24, 2000. They offer a million dollars (yes, $1,000,000) for the solution to each of seven problems. Of course the first problem is the Riemann hypothesis, which people have been trying to solve for about a hundred and fifty years.This book is light and entertaining. As I said, almost a comedy. For instance Cicadas of the genus Magicidada (an insect) appear once every 7, 13, or 17 years — all prime numbers — why?An entertaining book for the mathematician.

⭐I do not have much of a mathematical background and I am 75. I was able to work my way straight through this book. I don’t pretend to have understood some parts of it but the many parts I did understand were enthralling. I was able to read it straight through, albeit it slowly, and my interest never flagged. Thanks.

⭐Good book. Certainly not divisive.

⭐* PhysicalIts a hardback book covering the different sciences of Prime Numbers. The paper is lower quality and its discoloured on my bookshelf.* CommentaryThe book covers a lot of known information about the different forms of Prime Numbers. It’s a lot to take in if you read it from start to finish. I read this book over 4 + hours at one sitting. The forms are described but not really explained in depth So its structure is flat rather than in-depth. Its lack of structure and shallow depth is a limit on the fun you can get from this, but it’s readable say the A-level book type.

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