The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking

by Burger, Edward B.; Starbird, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781118156599
• ISBN10: 1118156595
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781118544280
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780470412879, 9780470424766, 9781118993835
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-12-10
• Publisher: Wiley
• More Book Details

Summary

This book offers an engaging and mind-opening experience for even the most math-phobic users. It is written for non-math, non-science-oriented majors and encourages students to discover the mathematics inherent in the world around them. Infused throughout with the authors' humor and enthusiasm, The Heart of Mathematics introduces students to the most important and interesting ideas in mathematics while inspiring them to actively engage in mathematical thinking.

Author Biography

Dr. Edward Burger is a professor mathematics at Williams College in Williamstown, MA. He received his BA from Connecticut College and his PhD from University of Texas at Austin.
He has received numerous awards including: the Nelson Bushnell Prize, for Scholarship and Teaching, Williams College, being listed among the top 100 best Math Teachers in the "100 Best of America", Reader's Digest's Annual Special Issue. He has also received the Award of Excellence, for "educational mathematics videos that break new ground", from Technology & Learning magazine.
His research interests include Algebraic Number Theory, Diophantine Analysis, padic Analysis, Geometry of Numbers, and the Theory of Continued Fractions.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Fun and Games: An Introduction to Rigorous Thought

Chapter 2: Number Contemplation

Chapter 3: Infinity

Chapter 4: Geometric Gems

Chapter 5: Contortions of Space

Chapter 6: Modeling Our World Through Graphs

Chapter 7: Fractals and Chaos 

Chapter 8: Taming Uncertainty

Chapter 9: Meaning from Data

Chapter 10: Deciding Wisely