Author: Andrew J. Simoson
Publisher: MAA
ISBN: 9780883853368
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
This book is about how poets, philosophers, storytellers, and scientists have described motion, beginning with Hesiod, who imagined that the expanse of heaven and the depth of hell was the distance that an anvil falls in nine days. The reader will learn that Dante's implicit model of the earth implies a black hole at its core, that Edmond Halley championed a hollow earth, and that Da Vinci knew that the acceleration due to Earth's gravity was a constant. There are chapters modeling Jules Verne's and H.G. Wells' imaginative flights to the moon and back, analyses of Edgar Alan Poe's descending pendulum, and the solution to an old problem perhaps inspired by one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It blends with equal voice romantic whimsy and derived equations, and anyone interested in mathematics will find new and surprising ideas about motion and the people who thought about it.
Hesiod's Anvil
Author: Andrew J. Simoson
Publisher: MAA
ISBN: 9780883853368
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
This book is about how poets, philosophers, storytellers, and scientists have described motion, beginning with Hesiod, who imagined that the expanse of heaven and the depth of hell was the distance that an anvil falls in nine days. The reader will learn that Dante's implicit model of the earth implies a black hole at its core, that Edmond Halley championed a hollow earth, and that Da Vinci knew that the acceleration due to Earth's gravity was a constant. There are chapters modeling Jules Verne's and H.G. Wells' imaginative flights to the moon and back, analyses of Edgar Alan Poe's descending pendulum, and the solution to an old problem perhaps inspired by one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It blends with equal voice romantic whimsy and derived equations, and anyone interested in mathematics will find new and surprising ideas about motion and the people who thought about it.
Publisher: MAA
ISBN: 9780883853368
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
This book is about how poets, philosophers, storytellers, and scientists have described motion, beginning with Hesiod, who imagined that the expanse of heaven and the depth of hell was the distance that an anvil falls in nine days. The reader will learn that Dante's implicit model of the earth implies a black hole at its core, that Edmond Halley championed a hollow earth, and that Da Vinci knew that the acceleration due to Earth's gravity was a constant. There are chapters modeling Jules Verne's and H.G. Wells' imaginative flights to the moon and back, analyses of Edgar Alan Poe's descending pendulum, and the solution to an old problem perhaps inspired by one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It blends with equal voice romantic whimsy and derived equations, and anyone interested in mathematics will find new and surprising ideas about motion and the people who thought about it.
The Works of Hesiod, Callimachus, and Theognis
Author: Hesiod
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Epic poetry, Greek
Languages : en
Pages : 552
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Epic poetry, Greek
Languages : en
Pages : 552
Book Description
Exploring Continued Fractions: From the Integers to Solar Eclipses
Author: Andrew J. Simoson
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1470461285
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 480
Book Description
There is a nineteen-year recurrence in the apparent position of the sun and moon against the background of the stars, a pattern observed long ago by the Babylonians. In the course of those nineteen years the Earth experiences 235 lunar cycles. Suppose we calculate the ratio of Earth's period about the sun to the moon's period about Earth. That ratio has 235/19 as one of its early continued fraction convergents, which explains the apparent periodicity. Exploring Continued Fractions explains this and other recurrent phenomena—astronomical transits and conjunctions, lifecycles of cicadas, eclipses—by way of continued fraction expansions. The deeper purpose is to find patterns, solve puzzles, and discover some appealing number theory. The reader will explore several algorithms for computing continued fractions, including some new to the literature. He or she will also explore the surprisingly large portion of number theory connected to continued fractions: Pythagorean triples, Diophantine equations, the Stern-Brocot tree, and a number of combinatorial sequences. The book features a pleasantly discursive style with excursions into music (The Well-Tempered Clavier), history (the Ishango bone and Plimpton 322), classics (the shape of More's Utopia) and whimsy (dropping a black hole on Earth's surface). Andy Simoson has won both the Chauvenet Prize and Pólya Award for expository writing from the MAA and his Voltaire's Riddle was a Choice magazine Outstanding Academic Title. This book is an enjoyable ramble through some beautiful mathematics. For most of the journey the only necessary prerequisites are a minimal familiarity with mathematical reasoning and a sense of fun.
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1470461285
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 480
Book Description
There is a nineteen-year recurrence in the apparent position of the sun and moon against the background of the stars, a pattern observed long ago by the Babylonians. In the course of those nineteen years the Earth experiences 235 lunar cycles. Suppose we calculate the ratio of Earth's period about the sun to the moon's period about Earth. That ratio has 235/19 as one of its early continued fraction convergents, which explains the apparent periodicity. Exploring Continued Fractions explains this and other recurrent phenomena—astronomical transits and conjunctions, lifecycles of cicadas, eclipses—by way of continued fraction expansions. The deeper purpose is to find patterns, solve puzzles, and discover some appealing number theory. The reader will explore several algorithms for computing continued fractions, including some new to the literature. He or she will also explore the surprisingly large portion of number theory connected to continued fractions: Pythagorean triples, Diophantine equations, the Stern-Brocot tree, and a number of combinatorial sequences. The book features a pleasantly discursive style with excursions into music (The Well-Tempered Clavier), history (the Ishango bone and Plimpton 322), classics (the shape of More's Utopia) and whimsy (dropping a black hole on Earth's surface). Andy Simoson has won both the Chauvenet Prize and Pólya Award for expository writing from the MAA and his Voltaire's Riddle was a Choice magazine Outstanding Academic Title. This book is an enjoyable ramble through some beautiful mathematics. For most of the journey the only necessary prerequisites are a minimal familiarity with mathematical reasoning and a sense of fun.
The Earliest Cosmologies
Author: William Fairfield Warren
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cosmology
Languages : en
Pages : 234
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cosmology
Languages : en
Pages : 234
Book Description
Proofs That Really Count
Author: Arthur Benjamin
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1614442088
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
Demonstration of the use of simple counting arguments to describe number patterns; numerous hints and references.
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1614442088
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
Demonstration of the use of simple counting arguments to describe number patterns; numerous hints and references.
Uncommon Mathematical Excursions
Author: Dan Kalman
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1470458446
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 293
Book Description
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1470458446
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 293
Book Description
A Guide to Groups, Rings, and Fields
Author: Fernando Q. Gouvêa
Publisher: MAA
ISBN: 0883853558
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 329
Book Description
Insightful overview of many kinds of algebraic structures that are ubiquitous in mathematics. For researchers at graduate level and beyond.
Publisher: MAA
ISBN: 0883853558
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 329
Book Description
Insightful overview of many kinds of algebraic structures that are ubiquitous in mathematics. For researchers at graduate level and beyond.
Voltaire’s Riddle
Author: Andrew J. Simoson
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1470458454
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 397
Book Description
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1470458454
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 397
Book Description
A Garden of Integrals
Author: Frank E. Burk
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1614442096
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
The derivative and the integral are the fundamental notions of calculus. Though there is essentially only one derivative, there is a variety of integrals, developed over the years for a variety of purposes, and this book describes them. No other single source treats all of the integrals of Cauchy, Riemann, RiemannStieltjes, Lebesgue, LebesgueSteiltjes, HenstockKurzweil, Weiner, and Feynman. The basic properties of each are proved, their similarities and differences are pointed out, and the reason for their existence and their uses are given. There is plentiful historical information. The audience for the book is advanced undergraduate mathematics majors, graduate students, and faculty members. Even experienced faculty members are unlikely to be aware of all of the integrals in the Garden of Integrals and the book provides an opportunity to see them and appreciate their richness. Professor Burk's clear and wellmotivated exposition makes this book a joy to read. The book can serve as a reference, as a supplement to courses that include the theory of integration, and a source of exercises in analysis. There is no other book like it.
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1614442096
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
The derivative and the integral are the fundamental notions of calculus. Though there is essentially only one derivative, there is a variety of integrals, developed over the years for a variety of purposes, and this book describes them. No other single source treats all of the integrals of Cauchy, Riemann, RiemannStieltjes, Lebesgue, LebesgueSteiltjes, HenstockKurzweil, Weiner, and Feynman. The basic properties of each are proved, their similarities and differences are pointed out, and the reason for their existence and their uses are given. There is plentiful historical information. The audience for the book is advanced undergraduate mathematics majors, graduate students, and faculty members. Even experienced faculty members are unlikely to be aware of all of the integrals in the Garden of Integrals and the book provides an opportunity to see them and appreciate their richness. Professor Burk's clear and wellmotivated exposition makes this book a joy to read. The book can serve as a reference, as a supplement to courses that include the theory of integration, and a source of exercises in analysis. There is no other book like it.
Charming Proofs
Author: Claudi Alsina
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1614442010
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
Theorems and their proofs lie at the heart of mathematics. In speaking of the purely aesthetic qualities of theorems and proofs, G. H. Hardy wrote that in beautiful proofs 'there is a very high degree of unexpectedness, combined with inevitability and economy.' Charming Proofs present a collection of remarkable proofs in elementary mathematics that are exceptionally elegant, full of ingenuity, and succinct. By means of a surprising argument or a powerful visual representation, the proofs in this collection will invite readers to enjoy the beauty of mathematics, to share their discoveries with others, and to become involved in the process of creating new proofs. Charming Proofs is organized as follows. Following a short introduction about proofs and the process of creating proofs, the authors present, in twelve chapters, a wide and varied selection of proofs they consider charming. Topics include the integers, selected real numbers, points in the plane, triangles, squares and other polygons, curves, inequalities, plane tilings, origami, colorful proofs, threedimensional geometry, etc. At the end of each chapter are some challenges that will draw the reader into the process of creating charming proofs. There are over 130 such challenges. Charming Proofs concludes with solutions to all of the challenges, references, and a complete index. As in the authors' previous books with the MAA (Math Made Visual and When Less Is More), secondary school, college, and university teachers may wish to use some of the charming proofs in their classrooms to introduce their students to mathematical elegance. Some may wish to use the book as a supplement in an introductory course on proofs, mathematical reasoning, or problem solving.
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 1614442010
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
Theorems and their proofs lie at the heart of mathematics. In speaking of the purely aesthetic qualities of theorems and proofs, G. H. Hardy wrote that in beautiful proofs 'there is a very high degree of unexpectedness, combined with inevitability and economy.' Charming Proofs present a collection of remarkable proofs in elementary mathematics that are exceptionally elegant, full of ingenuity, and succinct. By means of a surprising argument or a powerful visual representation, the proofs in this collection will invite readers to enjoy the beauty of mathematics, to share their discoveries with others, and to become involved in the process of creating new proofs. Charming Proofs is organized as follows. Following a short introduction about proofs and the process of creating proofs, the authors present, in twelve chapters, a wide and varied selection of proofs they consider charming. Topics include the integers, selected real numbers, points in the plane, triangles, squares and other polygons, curves, inequalities, plane tilings, origami, colorful proofs, threedimensional geometry, etc. At the end of each chapter are some challenges that will draw the reader into the process of creating charming proofs. There are over 130 such challenges. Charming Proofs concludes with solutions to all of the challenges, references, and a complete index. As in the authors' previous books with the MAA (Math Made Visual and When Less Is More), secondary school, college, and university teachers may wish to use some of the charming proofs in their classrooms to introduce their students to mathematical elegance. Some may wish to use the book as a supplement in an introductory course on proofs, mathematical reasoning, or problem solving.