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9780306460036

Mathematical Sorcery

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780306460036

  • ISBN10:

    0306460033

  • Format: Hardcover
  • Copyright: 1999-05-01
  • Publisher: BASIC BOOKS
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List Price: $109.00

Summary

There are two kinds of people: those who can do mathematics, and then there's the rest of us.Math is boring.Females have no facility for mathematics (and really don't need it, anyway).For many people who do not like math, these myths ring true.Calvin Clawson, the celebrated author ofMathematical Mysteries, has a unique talent for opening the door for the uninitiated to the splendors of mathematics. A writer in love with his subject, Clawson offers readers the perfect antidote to the phobias and misconceptions surrounding mathematics inMATHEMATICAL SORCERY. Contending that the power and beauty of mathematics are gifts in which we all can partake, he shows that the field of mathematics holds a bounty of wonder that can be reaped by any one of us in the hopes of discovering new truths.In this captivating quest for pure knowledge, Clawson takes us on a journey to the amazing discoveries of our ancient ancestors. He divulges the wisdom of the Ancient Greeks, Sumerians, Babylonians, and Egyptians, whose stunning revelations still have deep meaning to us today. The secrets of the constellations, the enigma of the golden mean, and the brilliance of a proof are just some of the breakthroughs he explores with unbridled delight.Enabling us to appreciate the achievements of Newton and other intellectual giants, Clawson inspires us through his eloquence and zeal to actually do mathematics, urging us to leap to the next level. He helps us intuitively comprehend and follow the very building blocks that too long have been a mystery to most of us, including infinity, functions, and the limit. As he elegantly states: "Mathematics is pursued not only for the sheer joy of the pursuit, as with the Ancient Greeks, but for the truths it reveals about our universe." ThroughMATHEMATICAL SORCERY, we taste the fruit of knowledge that has eluded us until now.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1(8)
Early Counting
9(13)
The Incredible Greeks
22(33)
Mathematical Proofs
55(25)
Passing the Torch
80(35)
Opening the Door
115(18)
Functions
133(43)
Stretching Space
176(35)
Extending the Form
211(17)
Isaac Newton
228(20)
Calculus
248(33)
Speculations on the Nature of Mathematics
281(5)
Endnotes 286(5)
Index 291

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