In Pursuit of Zeta-3

In Pursuit of Zeta-3 PDF Author: Paul J. Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691206074
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
"For centuries, mathematicians have tried, and failed, to solve the zeta-3 problem. This problem is simple in its formulation, but remains unsolved to this day, despite the attempts of some of the world's greatest mathematicians to solve it. The problem can be stated as follows: is there a simple symbolic formula for the following sum: 1+(1/2)^3+(1/3)^3+(1/4)^3+...? Although it is possible to calculate the approximate numerical value of the sum (for those interested, it's 1.20205...), there is no known symbolic expression. A symbolic formula would not only provide an exact value for the sum, but would allow for greater insight into its characteristics and properties. The answers to these questions are not of purely academic interest; the zeta-3 problem has close connections to physics, engineering, and other areas of mathematics. Zeta-3 arises in quantum electrodynamics and in number theory, for instance, and it is closely connected to the Riemann hypothesis. In In Pursuit of zeta-3, Paul Nahin turns his sharp, witty eye on the zeta-3 problem. He describes the problem's history, and provides numerous "challenge questions" to engage readers, along with Matlab code. Unlike other, similarly challenging problems, anyone with a basic mathematical background can understand the problem-making it an ideal choice for a pop math book"--

In Pursuit of Zeta-3

In Pursuit of Zeta-3 PDF Author: Paul J. Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691206074
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Get Book Here

Book Description
"For centuries, mathematicians have tried, and failed, to solve the zeta-3 problem. This problem is simple in its formulation, but remains unsolved to this day, despite the attempts of some of the world's greatest mathematicians to solve it. The problem can be stated as follows: is there a simple symbolic formula for the following sum: 1+(1/2)^3+(1/3)^3+(1/4)^3+...? Although it is possible to calculate the approximate numerical value of the sum (for those interested, it's 1.20205...), there is no known symbolic expression. A symbolic formula would not only provide an exact value for the sum, but would allow for greater insight into its characteristics and properties. The answers to these questions are not of purely academic interest; the zeta-3 problem has close connections to physics, engineering, and other areas of mathematics. Zeta-3 arises in quantum electrodynamics and in number theory, for instance, and it is closely connected to the Riemann hypothesis. In In Pursuit of zeta-3, Paul Nahin turns his sharp, witty eye on the zeta-3 problem. He describes the problem's history, and provides numerous "challenge questions" to engage readers, along with Matlab code. Unlike other, similarly challenging problems, anyone with a basic mathematical background can understand the problem-making it an ideal choice for a pop math book"--

Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula

Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula PDF Author: Paul J. Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691175918
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
In the mid-eighteenth century, Swiss-born mathematician Leonhard Euler developed a formula so innovative and complex that it continues to inspire research, discussion, and even the occasional limerick. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula shares the fascinating story of this groundbreaking formula—long regarded as the gold standard for mathematical beauty—and shows why it still lies at the heart of complex number theory. In some ways a sequel to Nahin's An Imaginary Tale, this book examines the many applications of complex numbers alongside intriguing stories from the history of mathematics. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula is accessible to any reader familiar with calculus and differential equations, and promises to inspire mathematicians for years to come.

When Least Is Best

When Least Is Best PDF Author: Paul Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691218765
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 406

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Book Description
By combining the mathematical history of extremes with contemporary examples, Paul J. Nahin answers some intriguing questions such as: what is the best way to photograph a speeding bullet?; and why does light move through glass in the least possible amount of time?

Prime Numbers and the Riemann Hypothesis

Prime Numbers and the Riemann Hypothesis PDF Author: Barry Mazur
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107101921
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 155

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Book Description
This book introduces prime numbers and explains the famous unsolved Riemann hypothesis.

A Second Course in Elementary Differential Equations

A Second Course in Elementary Differential Equations PDF Author: Paul Waltman
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 1483276600
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
A Second Course in Elementary Differential Equations deals with norms, metric spaces, completeness, inner products, and an asymptotic behavior in a natural setting for solving problems in differential equations. The book reviews linear algebra, constant coefficient case, repeated eigenvalues, and the employment of the Putzer algorithm for nondiagonalizable coefficient matrix. The text describes, in geometrical and in an intuitive approach, Liapunov stability, qualitative behavior, the phase plane concepts, polar coordinate techniques, limit cycles, the Poincaré-Bendixson theorem. The book explores, in an analytical procedure, the existence and uniqueness theorems, metric spaces, operators, contraction mapping theorem, and initial value problems. The contraction mapping theorem concerns operators that map a given metric space into itself, in which, where an element of the metric space M, an operator merely associates with it a unique element of M. The text also tackles inner products, orthogonality, bifurcation, as well as linear boundary value problems, (particularly the Sturm-Liouville problem). The book is intended for mathematics or physics students engaged in ordinary differential equations, and for biologists, engineers, economists, or chemists who need to master the prerequisites for a graduate course in mathematics.

An Imaginary Tale

An Imaginary Tale PDF Author: Paul Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400833892
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
Today complex numbers have such widespread practical use--from electrical engineering to aeronautics--that few people would expect the story behind their derivation to be filled with adventure and enigma. In An Imaginary Tale, Paul Nahin tells the 2000-year-old history of one of mathematics' most elusive numbers, the square root of minus one, also known as i. He recreates the baffling mathematical problems that conjured it up, and the colorful characters who tried to solve them. In 1878, when two brothers stole a mathematical papyrus from the ancient Egyptian burial site in the Valley of Kings, they led scholars to the earliest known occurrence of the square root of a negative number. The papyrus offered a specific numerical example of how to calculate the volume of a truncated square pyramid, which implied the need for i. In the first century, the mathematician-engineer Heron of Alexandria encountered I in a separate project, but fudged the arithmetic; medieval mathematicians stumbled upon the concept while grappling with the meaning of negative numbers, but dismissed their square roots as nonsense. By the time of Descartes, a theoretical use for these elusive square roots--now called "imaginary numbers"--was suspected, but efforts to solve them led to intense, bitter debates. The notorious i finally won acceptance and was put to use in complex analysis and theoretical physics in Napoleonic times. Addressing readers with both a general and scholarly interest in mathematics, Nahin weaves into this narrative entertaining historical facts and mathematical discussions, including the application of complex numbers and functions to important problems, such as Kepler's laws of planetary motion and ac electrical circuits. This book can be read as an engaging history, almost a biography, of one of the most evasive and pervasive "numbers" in all of mathematics. Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions.

Digital Dice

Digital Dice PDF Author: Paul J. Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691126982
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
A collection of twenty-one real-life probability puzzles and shows how to get numerical answers without having to solve complicated mathematical equations.

Mrs. Perkins's Electric Quilt

Mrs. Perkins's Electric Quilt PDF Author: Paul Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400833469
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 424

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Book Description
An incomparable collection of stimulating math puzzles from bestselling author Paul Nahin What does quilting have to do with electric circuit theory? The answer is just one of the fascinating ways that best-selling popular math writer Paul Nahin illustrates the deep interplay of math and physics in the world around us in his latest book of challenging mathematical puzzles, Mrs. Perkins's Electric Quilt. With his trademark combination of intriguing mathematical problems and the historical anecdotes surrounding them, Nahin invites readers on an exciting and informative exploration of some of the many ways math and physics combine to create something vastly more powerful, useful, and interesting than either is by itself. In a series of brief and largely self-contained chapters, Nahin discusses a wide range of topics in which math and physics are mutually dependent and mutually illuminating, from Newtonian gravity and Newton's laws of mechanics to ballistics, air drag, and electricity. The mathematical subjects range from algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus to differential equations, Fourier series, and theoretical and Monte Carlo probability. Each chapter includes problems—some three dozen in all—that challenge readers to try their hand at applying what they have learned. Just as in his other books of mathematical puzzles, Nahin discusses the historical background of each problem, gives many examples, includes MATLAB codes, and provides complete and detailed solutions at the end. Mrs. Perkins's Electric Quilt will appeal to students interested in new math and physics applications, teachers looking for unusual examples to use in class—and anyone who enjoys popular math books.

Special Functions of Mathematics for Engineers

Special Functions of Mathematics for Engineers PDF Author: Larry C. Andrews
Publisher: SPIE Press
ISBN: 9780819426161
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 512

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Book Description
Modern engineering and physical science applications demand a thorough knowledge of applied mathematics, particularly special functions. These typically arise in applications such as communication systems, electro-optics, nonlinear wave propagation, electromagnetic theory, electric circuit theory, and quantum mechanics. This text systematically introduces special functions and explores their properties and applications in engineering and science.

The Enjoyment of Mathematics

The Enjoyment of Mathematics PDF Author: Hans Rademacher
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 9780486262420
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Requiring only a basic background in plane geometry and elementary algebra, this classic poses 28 problems that introduce the fundamental ideas that make mathematics truly exciting. "Excellent . . . a thoroughly enjoyable sampler of fascinating mathematical problems and their solutions"—Science Magazine.