Curves for the Mathematically Curious
eBook - PDF

Curves for the Mathematically Curious

An Anthology of the Unpredictable, Historical, Beautiful, and Romantic

  1. 304 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Curves for the Mathematically Curious

An Anthology of the Unpredictable, Historical, Beautiful, and Romantic

About this book

Ten amazing curves personally selected by one of today's most important math writers

Curves for the Mathematically Curious is a thoughtfully curated collection of ten mathematical curves, selected by Julian Havil for their significance, mathematical interest, and beauty. Each chapter gives an account of the history and definition of one curve, providing a glimpse into the elegant and often surprising mathematics involved in its creation and evolution. In telling the ten stories, Havil introduces many mathematicians and other innovators, some whose fame has withstood the passing of years and others who have slipped into comparative obscurity. You will meet Pierre BĂ©zier, who is known for his ubiquitous and eponymous curves, and Adolphe Quetelet, who trumpeted the ubiquity of the normal curve but whose name now hides behind the modern body mass index. These and other ingenious thinkers engaged with the challenges, incongruities, and insights to be found in these remarkable curves—and now you can share in this adventure.

Curves for the Mathematically Curious is a rigorous and enriching mathematical experience for anyone interested in curves, and the book is designed so that readers who choose can follow the details with pencil and paper. Every curve has a story worth telling.

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Yes, you can access Curves for the Mathematically Curious by Julian Havil in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Mathematics & Art General. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. CHAPTER ONE The Euler Spiral
  9. CHAPTER TWO The Weierstrass Curve
  10. CHAPTER THREE Bézier Curves
  11. CHAPTER FOUR The Rectangular Hyperbola
  12. CHAPTER FIVE The Quadratrix of Hippias
  13. CHAPTER SIX Two Space-Filling Curves
  14. CHAPTER SEVEN Curves of Constant Width
  15. CHAPTER EIGHT The Normal Curve
  16. CHAPTER NINE The Catenary
  17. CHAPTER TEN Elliptic Curves
  18. Perhaps the Most Important Curve of All
  19. Appendix A The Title Page
  20. Appendix B Conics Encapsulated
  21. Appendix C A Trigonometric Variant for the Bézier Curve
  22. Appendix D Envelopes
  23. Appendix E The Mathematics of an Arch
  24. Appendix F The Simple Pendulum
  25. Appendix G Fibonacci’s Method
  26. References
  27. Index