Buch, Englisch, 172 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 272 g
Buch, Englisch, 172 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 272 g
ISBN: 978-0-85274-183-2
Verlag: CRC Press
How many colors are needed to color a map? Must hailstones numbers always fall to the ground? Can statistics prove anything? What is a perfect square, and who has found the ultimate one? How do numbers affect national security? What kinds of problems confront the traveling salesman? Does anyone know how best to pack balls together? What is life like in 4 (or 3 1/2) dimensions? How does a clock count, and why should we care? What number secrets do sunflowers and pine cones conceal? What is a monster doing in mathematics?
These and many other fascinating questions about familiar numbers like 1, 2, and 3 are explored in Malcolm Line's second adventure into the world of numbers. Written in a lively and readable style, Think of a Number relates the story of some of the most famous problems that have confronted the world's experts over the centuries, from the earliest interests of the ancient Greeks to the very cutting-edge of modern research involving today's most powerful computers. The book explores the relationship between numbers and nature in its broadest sense and discovers the beauty of fractals and chaos. Requiring little or no prior knowledge of mathematics, this resource will be fascinating reading for anyone with an interest in numbers and their role in the natural world.
Zielgruppe
Professional and Professional Practice & Development
Autoren/Hrsg.
Weitere Infos & Material
Introduction. The Fibonacci family and friends. Rising and falling with the hailstone numbers. Lies, damned lies and statistics. The pluperfect square - an ultimate patio decor. The trouble with Euclid's fifth. Clock numbers - an invention of the Master. Cryptography - the science of secret writing. Numbers and national security. Are four colors enough? Rulers, dominoes and Professor Golomb. What on earth is an NP-problem? How many balls can you shake into a can? In between dimensions. The road to chaos. Supermathematics and the monster.
