Author: Steve Nadis
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781541604292
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
One of the preeminent mathematicians of the past half century shows how physics and math were combined to give us the theory of gravity and the dizzying array of ideas and insights that has come from it In 1915, Albert Einstein published his field equations of general relativity, which transformed our conception of gravity. Rather than being a mysterious force that pulls objects together, gravity, Einstein proclaimed, is merely a consequence of the curvature of space and time. Gravity, in other words, springs from geometry itself. In The Gravity of Math, the writer Steve Nadis and mathematician Shing-Tung Yau show how Einstein formulated his revolutionary theory, building upon the prior work of Bernhard Riemann, with help from Marcel Grossmann, David Hilbert, Tullio Levi-Civita, and other mathematicians. The book explains how the implications of Einstein's theory have been, and continue to be, uncovered by mathematicians to help us understand phenomena like black holes, gravitational waves, and the Big Bang. The story of gravity also sheds light on one of the most profound questions of science: Why do our best descriptions of the physical world reduce to mathematical statements? Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: gravity shapes the universe on the largest scales with a reach that is seemingly boundless. So, too, is the reach of mathematics, which can carry us to the edge of infinity and back.
The Gravity of Math
Author: Steve Nadis
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781541604292
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
One of the preeminent mathematicians of the past half century shows how physics and math were combined to give us the theory of gravity and the dizzying array of ideas and insights that has come from it In 1915, Albert Einstein published his field equations of general relativity, which transformed our conception of gravity. Rather than being a mysterious force that pulls objects together, gravity, Einstein proclaimed, is merely a consequence of the curvature of space and time. Gravity, in other words, springs from geometry itself. In The Gravity of Math, the writer Steve Nadis and mathematician Shing-Tung Yau show how Einstein formulated his revolutionary theory, building upon the prior work of Bernhard Riemann, with help from Marcel Grossmann, David Hilbert, Tullio Levi-Civita, and other mathematicians. The book explains how the implications of Einstein's theory have been, and continue to be, uncovered by mathematicians to help us understand phenomena like black holes, gravitational waves, and the Big Bang. The story of gravity also sheds light on one of the most profound questions of science: Why do our best descriptions of the physical world reduce to mathematical statements? Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: gravity shapes the universe on the largest scales with a reach that is seemingly boundless. So, too, is the reach of mathematics, which can carry us to the edge of infinity and back.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781541604292
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
One of the preeminent mathematicians of the past half century shows how physics and math were combined to give us the theory of gravity and the dizzying array of ideas and insights that has come from it In 1915, Albert Einstein published his field equations of general relativity, which transformed our conception of gravity. Rather than being a mysterious force that pulls objects together, gravity, Einstein proclaimed, is merely a consequence of the curvature of space and time. Gravity, in other words, springs from geometry itself. In The Gravity of Math, the writer Steve Nadis and mathematician Shing-Tung Yau show how Einstein formulated his revolutionary theory, building upon the prior work of Bernhard Riemann, with help from Marcel Grossmann, David Hilbert, Tullio Levi-Civita, and other mathematicians. The book explains how the implications of Einstein's theory have been, and continue to be, uncovered by mathematicians to help us understand phenomena like black holes, gravitational waves, and the Big Bang. The story of gravity also sheds light on one of the most profound questions of science: Why do our best descriptions of the physical world reduce to mathematical statements? Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: gravity shapes the universe on the largest scales with a reach that is seemingly boundless. So, too, is the reach of mathematics, which can carry us to the edge of infinity and back.
The Gravity of Math
Author: Steve Nadis
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 154160430X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
One of the preeminent mathematicians of the past half century shows how physics and math were combined to give us the theory of gravity and the dizzying array of ideas and insights that has come from it Mathematics is far more than just the language of science. It is a critical underpinning of nature. The famed physicist Albert Einstein demonstrated this in 1915 when he showed that gravity—long considered an attractive force between massive objects—was actually a manifestation of the curvature, or geometry, of space and time. But in making this towering intellectual leap, Einstein needed the help of several mathematicians, including Marcel Grossmann, who introduced him to the geometrical framework upon which his theory rest. In The Gravity of Math, Steve Nadis and Shing-Tung Yau consider how math can drive and sometimes even anticipate discoveries in physics. Examining phenomena like black holes, gravitational waves, and the Big Bang, Nadis and Yau ask: Why do mathematical statements, derived solely from logic, provide the best descriptions of our physical world? The Gravity of Math offers an insightful and compelling look into the power of mathematics—whose reach, like that of gravity, can extend to the edge of the universe.
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 154160430X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
One of the preeminent mathematicians of the past half century shows how physics and math were combined to give us the theory of gravity and the dizzying array of ideas and insights that has come from it Mathematics is far more than just the language of science. It is a critical underpinning of nature. The famed physicist Albert Einstein demonstrated this in 1915 when he showed that gravity—long considered an attractive force between massive objects—was actually a manifestation of the curvature, or geometry, of space and time. But in making this towering intellectual leap, Einstein needed the help of several mathematicians, including Marcel Grossmann, who introduced him to the geometrical framework upon which his theory rest. In The Gravity of Math, Steve Nadis and Shing-Tung Yau consider how math can drive and sometimes even anticipate discoveries in physics. Examining phenomena like black holes, gravitational waves, and the Big Bang, Nadis and Yau ask: Why do mathematical statements, derived solely from logic, provide the best descriptions of our physical world? The Gravity of Math offers an insightful and compelling look into the power of mathematics—whose reach, like that of gravity, can extend to the edge of the universe.
The Shape of a Life
Author: Shing-Tung Yau
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300245521
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 449
Book Description
A Fields medalist recounts his lifelong effort to uncover the geometric shape—the Calabi-Yau manifold—that may store the hidden dimensions of our universe. Harvard geometer Shing-Tung Yau has provided a mathematical foundation for string theory, offered new insights into black holes, and mathematically demonstrated the stability of our universe. In this autobiography, Yau reflects on his improbable journey to becoming one of the world’s most distinguished mathematicians. Beginning with an impoverished childhood in China and Hong Kong, Yau takes readers through his doctoral studies at Berkeley during the height of the Vietnam War protests, his Fields Medal–winning proof of the Calabi conjecture, his return to China, and his pioneering work in geometric analysis. This new branch of geometry, which Yau built up with his friends and colleagues, has paved the way for solutions to several important and previously intransigent problems. With complicated ideas explained for a broad audience, this book offers not only insights into the life of an eminent mathematician, but also an accessible way to understand advanced and highly abstract concepts in mathematics and theoretical physics. “The remarkable story of one of the world’s most accomplished mathematicians . . . Yau’s personal journey—from escaping China as a youngster, leading a gang outside Hong Kong, becoming captivated by mathematics, to making breakthroughs that thrust him on the world stage—inspires us all with humankind’s irrepressible spirit of discovery.” —Brian Greene, New York Times–bestselling author of The Elegant Universe “An unexpectedly intimate look into a highly accomplished man, his colleagues and friends, the development of a new field of geometric analysis, and a glimpse into a truly uncommon mind.” —The Boston Globe “Engaging, eminently readable. . . . For those with a taste for elegant and largely jargon-free explanations of mathematics, The Shape of a Life promises hours of rewarding reading.” —American Scientist
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300245521
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 449
Book Description
A Fields medalist recounts his lifelong effort to uncover the geometric shape—the Calabi-Yau manifold—that may store the hidden dimensions of our universe. Harvard geometer Shing-Tung Yau has provided a mathematical foundation for string theory, offered new insights into black holes, and mathematically demonstrated the stability of our universe. In this autobiography, Yau reflects on his improbable journey to becoming one of the world’s most distinguished mathematicians. Beginning with an impoverished childhood in China and Hong Kong, Yau takes readers through his doctoral studies at Berkeley during the height of the Vietnam War protests, his Fields Medal–winning proof of the Calabi conjecture, his return to China, and his pioneering work in geometric analysis. This new branch of geometry, which Yau built up with his friends and colleagues, has paved the way for solutions to several important and previously intransigent problems. With complicated ideas explained for a broad audience, this book offers not only insights into the life of an eminent mathematician, but also an accessible way to understand advanced and highly abstract concepts in mathematics and theoretical physics. “The remarkable story of one of the world’s most accomplished mathematicians . . . Yau’s personal journey—from escaping China as a youngster, leading a gang outside Hong Kong, becoming captivated by mathematics, to making breakthroughs that thrust him on the world stage—inspires us all with humankind’s irrepressible spirit of discovery.” —Brian Greene, New York Times–bestselling author of The Elegant Universe “An unexpectedly intimate look into a highly accomplished man, his colleagues and friends, the development of a new field of geometric analysis, and a glimpse into a truly uncommon mind.” —The Boston Globe “Engaging, eminently readable. . . . For those with a taste for elegant and largely jargon-free explanations of mathematics, The Shape of a Life promises hours of rewarding reading.” —American Scientist
How to Fall Slower Than Gravity
Author: Paul Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691185026
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 319
Book Description
An engaging collection of intriguing problems that shows you how to think like a mathematical physicist Paul Nahin is a master at explaining odd phenomena through straightforward mathematics. In this collection of twenty-six intriguing problems, he explores how mathematical physicists think. Always entertaining, the problems range from ancient catapult conundrums to the puzzling physics of a very peculiar material called NASTYGLASS—and from dodging trucks to why raindrops fall slower than the rate of gravity. The questions raised may seem impossible to answer at first and may require an unexpected twist in reasoning, but sometimes their solutions are surprisingly simple. Nahin’s goal, however, is always to guide readers—who will need only to have studied advanced high school math and physics—in expanding their mathematical thinking to make sense of the curiosities of the physical world. The problems are in the first part of the book and the solutions are in the second, so that readers may challenge themselves to solve the questions on their own before looking at the explanations. The problems show how mathematics—including algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus—can be united with physical laws to solve both real and theoretical problems. Historical anecdotes woven throughout the book bring alive the circumstances and people involved in some amazing discoveries and achievements. More than a puzzle book, this work will immerse you in the delights of scientific history while honing your math skills.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691185026
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 319
Book Description
An engaging collection of intriguing problems that shows you how to think like a mathematical physicist Paul Nahin is a master at explaining odd phenomena through straightforward mathematics. In this collection of twenty-six intriguing problems, he explores how mathematical physicists think. Always entertaining, the problems range from ancient catapult conundrums to the puzzling physics of a very peculiar material called NASTYGLASS—and from dodging trucks to why raindrops fall slower than the rate of gravity. The questions raised may seem impossible to answer at first and may require an unexpected twist in reasoning, but sometimes their solutions are surprisingly simple. Nahin’s goal, however, is always to guide readers—who will need only to have studied advanced high school math and physics—in expanding their mathematical thinking to make sense of the curiosities of the physical world. The problems are in the first part of the book and the solutions are in the second, so that readers may challenge themselves to solve the questions on their own before looking at the explanations. The problems show how mathematics—including algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus—can be united with physical laws to solve both real and theoretical problems. Historical anecdotes woven throughout the book bring alive the circumstances and people involved in some amazing discoveries and achievements. More than a puzzle book, this work will immerse you in the delights of scientific history while honing your math skills.
Newton's Gravity
Author: Douglas W. MacDougal
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461454441
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 442
Book Description
“Newton’s Gravity” conveys the power of simple mathematics to tell the fundamental truth about nature. Many people, for example, know the tides are caused by the pull of the Moon and to a lesser extent the Sun. But very few can explain exactly how and why that happens. Fewer still can calculate the actual pulls of the Moon and Sun on the oceans. This book shows in clear detail how to do this with simple tools. It uniquely crosses disciplines – history, astronomy, physics and mathematics – and takes pains to explain things frequently passed over or taken for granted in other books. Using a problem-based approach, “Newton’s Gravity” explores the surprisingly basic mathematics behind gravity, the most fundamental force that governs the movements of satellites, planets, and the stars. Author Douglas W. MacDougal uses actual problems from the history of astronomy, as well as original examples, to deepen understanding of how discoveries were made and what they mean. “Newton’s Gravity” concentrates strongly on the development of the science of orbital motion, beginning with Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, each of whom is prominently represented. Quotes and problems from Galileo’s Dialogs Concerning Two New Sciences and particularly Newton’s Principia help the reader get inside the mind of those thinkers and see the problems as they saw them, and experience their concise and typically eloquent writing. This book enables students and curious minds to explore the mysteries of celestial motion without having to know advanced mathematics. It will whet the reader’s curiosity to explore further and provide him or her the tools (mathematical or physical) to do so.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461454441
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 442
Book Description
“Newton’s Gravity” conveys the power of simple mathematics to tell the fundamental truth about nature. Many people, for example, know the tides are caused by the pull of the Moon and to a lesser extent the Sun. But very few can explain exactly how and why that happens. Fewer still can calculate the actual pulls of the Moon and Sun on the oceans. This book shows in clear detail how to do this with simple tools. It uniquely crosses disciplines – history, astronomy, physics and mathematics – and takes pains to explain things frequently passed over or taken for granted in other books. Using a problem-based approach, “Newton’s Gravity” explores the surprisingly basic mathematics behind gravity, the most fundamental force that governs the movements of satellites, planets, and the stars. Author Douglas W. MacDougal uses actual problems from the history of astronomy, as well as original examples, to deepen understanding of how discoveries were made and what they mean. “Newton’s Gravity” concentrates strongly on the development of the science of orbital motion, beginning with Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, each of whom is prominently represented. Quotes and problems from Galileo’s Dialogs Concerning Two New Sciences and particularly Newton’s Principia help the reader get inside the mind of those thinkers and see the problems as they saw them, and experience their concise and typically eloquent writing. This book enables students and curious minds to explore the mysteries of celestial motion without having to know advanced mathematics. It will whet the reader’s curiosity to explore further and provide him or her the tools (mathematical or physical) to do so.
The Shape of Inner Space
Author: Shing-Tung Yau
Publisher: Il Saggiatore
ISBN: 0465020232
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 398
Book Description
The leading mind behind the mathematics of string theory discusses how geometry explains the universe we see. Illustrations.
Publisher: Il Saggiatore
ISBN: 0465020232
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 398
Book Description
The leading mind behind the mathematics of string theory discusses how geometry explains the universe we see. Illustrations.
Strichartz Estimates and the Cauchy Problem for the Gravity Water Waves Equations
Author: T. Alazard
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 147043203X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 120
Book Description
This memoir is devoted to the proof of a well-posedness result for the gravity water waves equations, in arbitrary dimension and in fluid domains with general bottoms, when the initial velocity field is not necessarily Lipschitz. Moreover, for two-dimensional waves, the authors consider solutions such that the curvature of the initial free surface does not belong to L2. The proof is entirely based on the Eulerian formulation of the water waves equations, using microlocal analysis to obtain sharp Sobolev and Hölder estimates. The authors first prove tame estimates in Sobolev spaces depending linearly on Hölder norms and then use the dispersive properties of the water-waves system, namely Strichartz estimates, to control these Hölder norms.
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 147043203X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 120
Book Description
This memoir is devoted to the proof of a well-posedness result for the gravity water waves equations, in arbitrary dimension and in fluid domains with general bottoms, when the initial velocity field is not necessarily Lipschitz. Moreover, for two-dimensional waves, the authors consider solutions such that the curvature of the initial free surface does not belong to L2. The proof is entirely based on the Eulerian formulation of the water waves equations, using microlocal analysis to obtain sharp Sobolev and Hölder estimates. The authors first prove tame estimates in Sobolev spaces depending linearly on Hölder norms and then use the dispersive properties of the water-waves system, namely Strichartz estimates, to control these Hölder norms.
Applied Mechanics Reviews
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mechanics, Applied
Languages : en
Pages : 934
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mechanics, Applied
Languages : en
Pages : 934
Book Description
Issues in Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research: 2011 Edition
Author:
Publisher: ScholarlyEditions
ISBN: 1464965315
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 743
Book Description
Issues in Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research: 2011 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research. The editors have built Issues in Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research: 2011 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research: 2011 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.
Publisher: ScholarlyEditions
ISBN: 1464965315
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 743
Book Description
Issues in Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research: 2011 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research. The editors have built Issues in Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research: 2011 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Calculus, Mathematical Analysis, and Nonlinear Research: 2011 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.
Handbook of Mathematical Geodesy
Author: Willi Freeden
Publisher: Birkhäuser
ISBN: 3319571818
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 938
Book Description
Written by leading experts, this book provides a clear and comprehensive survey of the “status quo” of the interrelating process and cross-fertilization of structures and methods in mathematical geodesy. Starting with a foundation of functional analysis, potential theory, constructive approximation, special function theory, and inverse problems, readers are subsequently introduced to today’s least squares approximation, spherical harmonics reflected spline and wavelet concepts, boundary value problems, Runge-Walsh framework, geodetic observables, geoidal modeling, ill-posed problems and regularizations, inverse gravimetry, and satellite gravity gradiometry. All chapters are self-contained and can be studied individually, making the book an ideal resource for both graduate students and active researchers who want to acquaint themselves with the mathematical aspects of modern geodesy.
Publisher: Birkhäuser
ISBN: 3319571818
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 938
Book Description
Written by leading experts, this book provides a clear and comprehensive survey of the “status quo” of the interrelating process and cross-fertilization of structures and methods in mathematical geodesy. Starting with a foundation of functional analysis, potential theory, constructive approximation, special function theory, and inverse problems, readers are subsequently introduced to today’s least squares approximation, spherical harmonics reflected spline and wavelet concepts, boundary value problems, Runge-Walsh framework, geodetic observables, geoidal modeling, ill-posed problems and regularizations, inverse gravimetry, and satellite gravity gradiometry. All chapters are self-contained and can be studied individually, making the book an ideal resource for both graduate students and active researchers who want to acquaint themselves with the mathematical aspects of modern geodesy.