Group Theory in the Bedroom, and Other Mathematical Diversions
eBook - ePub

Group Theory in the Bedroom, and Other Mathematical Diversions

  1. 300 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Group Theory in the Bedroom, and Other Mathematical Diversions

About this book

"A refreshing collection of superb mathematical essays... from choosing up sides to choosing names, the topics are intriguingly nonstandard... First-rate." —John Allen Paulos, author of Innumeracy A science and technology journalist and essayist whose work has appeared in multiple anthologies, Brian Hayes now presents a selection of his most memorable pieces—including the National Magazine Award–winning "Clock of Ages"—in this enjoyable volume. In addition, Hayes embellishes the collection with an overall scene-setting preface, reconfigured illustrations, and a refreshingly self-critical "Afterthoughts" section appended to each essay. "You don't have to be a geek to appreciate Hayes's lively, self-effacing style... The first essay explains how clockmakers developed the gears and linkages that enabled fabled medieval clocks to reach remarkable accuracy, as well as predict the day Easter would fall on. Other essays celebrate the notion of random numbers and why they are so hard to achieve. Numerical analysis also plays a role in economic models based on the kinetic theory of gases or simplified markets involving iterations of buying and selling. Hayes goes on to explain how statistics have been applied to compute which quarrels—from interpersonal to world wars—are the deadliest (surprising results here)... Challenging but rewarding for anyone intrigued by numbers." — Kirkus Reviews "As much as any book I can name, Group Theory in the Bedroom conveys to a general audience the playfulness involved in doing mathematics: how questions arise as a form of play, how our first attempts at answering questions usually seem naive in hindsight but are crucial for finding eventual solutions, and how a good solution just feels right." —David Austin, Notices of the AMS

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Yes, you can access Group Theory in the Bedroom, and Other Mathematical Diversions by Brian Hayes in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Mathematics & Mathematics Essays. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Halftitle
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Preface
  8. 1 Clock of Ages
  9. 2 Random Resources
  10. 3 Follow the Money
  11. 4 Inventing the Genetic Code
  12. 5 Statistics of Deadly Quarrels
  13. 6 Dividing the Continent
  14. 7 On the Teeth of Wheels
  15. 8 The Easiest Hard Problem
  16. 9 Naming Names
  17. 10 Third Base
  18. 11 Identity Crisis
  19. 12 Group Theory in the Bedroom
  20. Further Reading
  21. Index