Flannery The Square Root of 2
1. Auflage 2006
ISBN: 978-0-387-31434-1
Verlag: Springer US
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark
A Dialogue Concerning a Number and a Sequence
E-Book, Englisch, 260 Seiten, Web PDF
Reihe: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law
ISBN: 978-0-387-31434-1
Verlag: Springer US
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark
The square root of 2 is a fascinating number – if a little less famous than such mathematical stars as pi, the number e, the golden ratio, or the square root of –1. (Each of these has been honored by at least one recent book.) Here, in an imaginary dialogue between teacher and student, readers will learn why v2 is an important number in its own right, and how, in puzzling out its special qualities, mathematicians gained insights into the illusive nature of irrational numbers. Using no more than basic high school algebra and geometry, David Flannery manages to convey not just why v2 is fascinating and significant, but how the whole enterprise of mathematical thinking can be played out in a dialogue that is imaginative, intriguing, and engaging. Original and informative, The Square Root of 2 is a one-of-a-kind introduction to the pleasure and playful beauty of mathematical thinking.
Zielgruppe
Popular/general
Autoren/Hrsg.
Weitere Infos & Material
Asking the Right Questions.- Irrationality and Its Consequences.- The Power of a Little Algebra.- Witchcraft.- Odds and Ends.- Epilogue.
