Soccermatics Mathematical Adventures in the Beautiful Game

by Sumpter, David

• ISBN13: 9781472924148
• ISBN10: 1472924142
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2017-05-09
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Sigma

Summary

Soccer is the most mathematical of sports--riddled with numbers, patterns, and shapes. How to make sense of them? The answer lies in mathematical modeling, a science with applications in a host of biological systems. Soccermatics brings the two together in a fascinating, mind-bending synthesis.

What's the connection between an ant colony and Total Football, Dutch-style? How is the Barcelona midfield linked geometrically? And how can we relate the mechanics of a Mexican Wave to the singing of cicadas in an Australian valley? Welcome to the world of mathematical modeling, expressed brilliantly by David Sumpter through the prism of soccer. Soccer is indeed more than a game and this book is packed with game theory. After reading it, you will forever watch the game with new eyes.

Author Biography

David Sumpter is a professor of applied mathematics at Uppsala University in Sweden, where he runs the Collective Behavior Research Group. Originally from London, he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics at Manchester and held academic research positions at both Oxford and Cambridge. This is his first book. He lives with his wife and two children. In his spare time, he trains a successful soccer team of nine-year-old boys. He lives in Uppsala, Sweden.

Table of Contents

Preface: The Kick-off

Part I: On the Pitch
Chapter 1: I Never Predict Anything and I Never Will
Chapter 2: How Slime Moulds Built Barcelona
Chapter 3: Check My Flow
Chapter 4: Statistical Brilliance
Chapter 5: Zlatan Ibrah Rocket Science

Part II: In the Dugout
Chapter 6: Three Points for the Bird-brained Manager
Chapter 7: The Tactical Map
CHapter 8: Total Cyber Dynamo
Chapter 9: The World in Motion

Part III: From the Crowd
Chapter 10: You'll Never Walk Alone
Chapter 11: Bet Against the Masses
Chapter 12: Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is
Chapter 13: The Results Are In
The Full-Time Whistle

Notes
Acknowledgements
Index