Numbers: A Very Short Introduction

1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-0-19-958405-5
Verlag: Oxford University Press

Buch, Englisch, 152 Seiten, Format (B × H): 113 mm x 175 mm, Gewicht: 122 g

Reihe: Very Short Introductions

A short introduction to the number world, looking at different types of numbers and how they behave
Reveals the astonishing richness and variety of numbers, including primes, imaginary and complex numbers, to infinity and beyond
Explains how numbers interact and influence modern applications and practices, for example in the encryption of confidential data
Written by an experienced mathematician with a history of writing in a non-technical way

Numbers are integral to our everyday lives and feature in everything we do. In this Very Short Introduction Peter M. Higgins, the renowned mathematics writer, unravels the world of numbers; demonstrating ist richness, and providing a comprehensive view of the idea of the number.

Higgins paints a picture of the number world, considering how the modern number system matured over centuries. Explaining the various number types and showing how they behave, he introduces key concepts such as integers, fractions, real numbers, and imaginary numbers. By approaching the topic in a non-technical way and emphasising the basic principles and interactions of numbers with mathematics and science, Higgins also demonstrates the practical interactions and modern applications, such as encryption of confidential data on the internet.

Zielgruppe

Readers interested in maths and those with a fascination for numbers, in particular students and teachers of mathematics.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Higgins, Peter M.

Fachgebiete

• Mathematik | Informatik Mathematik Algebra Zahlentheorie
• Mathematik | Informatik Mathematik Mathematik Allgemein Populäre Darstellungen der Mathematik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1: How not to think about numbers: the trouble with bases
2: The unending series of primes
3: Perfect and not so perfect numbers
4: Cryptography: the secret life of the primes
5: Numbers that count
6: A peek below the waterline of the number iceberg
7: To infinity and beyond
8: Numbers but not as we know them
Further Reading
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Peter M. Higgins, Professor, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex