Mathematics: Powerful Patterns in Nature and Society (Milestones in Discovery and Invention) by Harry Henderson (PDF)

Description

For most people, mathematics is an abstraction with little connection to the real universe. But some mathematicians have discovered relatively simple yet exceedingly powerful patterns that yield insight into aspects of natural and human behavior. Mathematics presents 10 essays that profile the minds behind such patterns, many of which have surfaced in recent popular culture. Meet Leonardo of Pisa, who worked with Fibonacci numbers and the Golden Section; John von Neumann and John Nash, proponents of game theory; Edward Lorentz, who developed chaos theory; and Sid Meier, who has created award-winning computer games, such as Gettysburg and SimGolf, and five other mathematicians. Although the ideas explored here may produce complex results, they are inherently simple in concept, making them appealing, accessible vehicles for acquainting students with the human side of mathematics.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: From Booklist From the Milestones in Discovery and Invention series, this volume presents 10 mathematicians, all male, and the ideas they developed. Apart from the thirteenth-century discovery of Fibonacci numbers and Pearson’s late nineteenth-century development of statistical tools, the concepts discussed represent the work of mathematicians who are currently working or were active during the twentieth century, including John Nash and Edward Lorenz. Illustrated with a picture of the mathematician and other pictures or diagrams, each chapter can be read independently and concludes with its own chronology and briefly annotated lists of books, articles, and Web sites. Offering insights into personalities, the biographical accounts are often engaging. The sections pertaining to mathematical theories are usually clearly written, although the concepts are sometimes challenging, particularly in the later chapters. Appendixes include a broad chronology, a glossary, and lists of books, Internet resources, and math journals, societies, and organizations. Given the emphasis on modern discoveries, this book will help fill in gaps in collections on the history of mathematics—though readers seeking information about female contributors to the field will need to look elsewhere. Phelan, Carolyn

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

⭐Easy read and gives in equal measure an account of the discoveries, discoverer and the world at the time of discovery. Very delightful to read.At $35 they may be pricing out themselves, but this book is a gem. Planning to read the others in the series.

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