9780465082322

Letters to a Young Mathematician

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780465082322

  • ISBN10:

    0465082327

  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2007-03-26
  • Publisher: Basic Books
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Summary

Mathematician Ian Stewart tells readers what he wishes he had known when he was a student. He takes up subjects ranging from the philosophical to the practical-what mathematics is and why it's worth doing, the relationship between logic and proof, the role of beauty in mathematical thinking, the future of mathematics, how to deal with the peculiarities of the mathematical community, and many others.

Author Biography

Ian Stewart is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick and is well known for his writing and broadcasting about mathematics for nonspecialists. He has written over 140 research papers on such subjects as symmetry in dynamics, pattern formation, chaos, and mathematical biology, as well as numerous popular books, including Letters to a Young Mathematician, Does God Play Dice?, What Shape Is a Snowflake?, Nature’s Numbers, The Annotated Flatland, and Flatterland. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001. He lives in Coventry, England.

Table of Contents

Prefacep. ix
Why Do Math?p. 1
How I Almost Became a Lawyerp. 11
The Breadth of Mathematicsp. 18
Hasn't It All Been Done?p. 33
Surrounded by Mathp. 45
How Mathematicians Thinkp. 53
How to Learn Mathp. 62
Fear of Proofsp. 71
Can't Computers Solve Everything?p. 82
Mathematical Storytellingp. 87
Going for the Jugularp. 95
Blockbustersp. 103
Impossible Problemsp. 110
The Career Ladderp. 122
Pure or Applied?p. 131
Where Do You Get Those Crazy Ideas?p. 147
How to Teach Mathp. 157
The Mathematical Communityp. 168
Pigs and Pickup Trucksp. 178
Pleasures and Perils of Collaborationp. 188
Is God a Mathematician?p. 196
Notes and Referencesp. 205
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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