How Not to Be Wrong

How Not to Be Wrong PDF Author: Jordan Ellenberg
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0143127535
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 482

Get Book Here

Book Description
“Witty, compelling, and just plain fun to read . . ." —Evelyn Lamb, Scientific American The Freakonomics of math—a math-world superstar unveils the hidden beauty and logic of the world and puts its power in our hands The math we learn in school can seem like a dull set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. In How Not to Be Wrong, Jordan Ellenberg shows us how terribly limiting this view is: Math isn’t confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do—the whole world is shot through with it. Math allows us to see the hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of our world. It’s a science of not being wrong, hammered out by centuries of hard work and argument. Armed with the tools of mathematics, we can see through to the true meaning of information we take for granted: How early should you get to the airport? What does “public opinion” really represent? Why do tall parents have shorter children? Who really won Florida in 2000? And how likely are you, really, to develop cancer? How Not to Be Wrong presents the surprising revelations behind all of these questions and many more, using the mathematician’s method of analyzing life and exposing the hard-won insights of the academic community to the layman—minus the jargon. Ellenberg chases mathematical threads through a vast range of time and space, from the everyday to the cosmic, encountering, among other things, baseball, Reaganomics, daring lottery schemes, Voltaire, the replicability crisis in psychology, Italian Renaissance painting, artificial languages, the development of non-Euclidean geometry, the coming obesity apocalypse, Antonin Scalia’s views on crime and punishment, the psychology of slime molds, what Facebook can and can’t figure out about you, and the existence of God. Ellenberg pulls from history as well as from the latest theoretical developments to provide those not trained in math with the knowledge they need. Math, as Ellenberg says, is “an atomic-powered prosthesis that you attach to your common sense, vastly multiplying its reach and strength.” With the tools of mathematics in hand, you can understand the world in a deeper, more meaningful way. How Not to Be Wrong will show you how.

Arithmetic

Arithmetic PDF Author: Paul Lockhart
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 067423751X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Get Book Here

Book Description
Paul Lockhart reveals arithmetic not as the rote manipulation of numbers but as a set of ideas that exhibit the surprising behaviors usually reserved for higher branches of mathematics. In this entertaining survey, he explores the nature of counting and different number systems—Western and non-Western—and weighs the pluses and minuses of each.

How Not to Be Wrong

How Not to Be Wrong PDF Author: Jordan Ellenberg
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0143127535
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 482

Get Book Here

Book Description
“Witty, compelling, and just plain fun to read . . ." —Evelyn Lamb, Scientific American The Freakonomics of math—a math-world superstar unveils the hidden beauty and logic of the world and puts its power in our hands The math we learn in school can seem like a dull set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. In How Not to Be Wrong, Jordan Ellenberg shows us how terribly limiting this view is: Math isn’t confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do—the whole world is shot through with it. Math allows us to see the hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of our world. It’s a science of not being wrong, hammered out by centuries of hard work and argument. Armed with the tools of mathematics, we can see through to the true meaning of information we take for granted: How early should you get to the airport? What does “public opinion” really represent? Why do tall parents have shorter children? Who really won Florida in 2000? And how likely are you, really, to develop cancer? How Not to Be Wrong presents the surprising revelations behind all of these questions and many more, using the mathematician’s method of analyzing life and exposing the hard-won insights of the academic community to the layman—minus the jargon. Ellenberg chases mathematical threads through a vast range of time and space, from the everyday to the cosmic, encountering, among other things, baseball, Reaganomics, daring lottery schemes, Voltaire, the replicability crisis in psychology, Italian Renaissance painting, artificial languages, the development of non-Euclidean geometry, the coming obesity apocalypse, Antonin Scalia’s views on crime and punishment, the psychology of slime molds, what Facebook can and can’t figure out about you, and the existence of God. Ellenberg pulls from history as well as from the latest theoretical developments to provide those not trained in math with the knowledge they need. Math, as Ellenberg says, is “an atomic-powered prosthesis that you attach to your common sense, vastly multiplying its reach and strength.” With the tools of mathematics in hand, you can understand the world in a deeper, more meaningful way. How Not to Be Wrong will show you how.

Mathematics and Computation

Mathematics and Computation PDF Author: Avi Wigderson
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691189137
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 434

Get Book Here

Book Description
An introduction to computational complexity theory, its connections and interactions with mathematics, and its central role in the natural and social sciences, technology, and philosophy Mathematics and Computation provides a broad, conceptual overview of computational complexity theory—the mathematical study of efficient computation. With important practical applications to computer science and industry, computational complexity theory has evolved into a highly interdisciplinary field, with strong links to most mathematical areas and to a growing number of scientific endeavors. Avi Wigderson takes a sweeping survey of complexity theory, emphasizing the field’s insights and challenges. He explains the ideas and motivations leading to key models, notions, and results. In particular, he looks at algorithms and complexity, computations and proofs, randomness and interaction, quantum and arithmetic computation, and cryptography and learning, all as parts of a cohesive whole with numerous cross-influences. Wigderson illustrates the immense breadth of the field, its beauty and richness, and its diverse and growing interactions with other areas of mathematics. He ends with a comprehensive look at the theory of computation, its methodology and aspirations, and the unique and fundamental ways in which it has shaped and will further shape science, technology, and society. For further reading, an extensive bibliography is provided for all topics covered. Mathematics and Computation is useful for undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics, computer science, and related fields, as well as researchers and teachers in these fields. Many parts require little background, and serve as an invitation to newcomers seeking an introduction to the theory of computation. Comprehensive coverage of computational complexity theory, and beyond High-level, intuitive exposition, which brings conceptual clarity to this central and dynamic scientific discipline Historical accounts of the evolution and motivations of central concepts and models A broad view of the theory of computation's influence on science, technology, and society Extensive bibliography

What is Mathematics?

What is Mathematics? PDF Author: Richard Courant
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780195105193
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 596

Get Book Here

Book Description
The teaching and learning of mathematics has degenerated into the realm of rote memorization, the outcome of which leads to satisfactory formal ability but not real understanding or greater intellectual independence. The new edition of this classic work seeks to address this problem. Its goal is to put the meaning back into mathematics. "Lucid . . . easily understandable".--Albert Einstein. 301 linecuts.

Acquisition of Complex Arithmetic Skills and Higher-Order Mathematics Concepts

Acquisition of Complex Arithmetic Skills and Higher-Order Mathematics Concepts PDF Author: David C. Geary
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128133686
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 362

Get Book Here

Book Description
Acquisition of Complex Arithmetic Skills and Higher-Order Mathematics Concepts focuses on typical and atypical learning of complex arithmetic skills and higher-order math concepts. As part of the series Mathematical Cognition and Learning, this volume covers recent advances in the understanding of children’s developing competencies with whole-number arithmetic, fractions, and rational numbers. Each chapter covers these topics from multiple perspectives, including genetic disorders, cognition, instruction, and neural networks. Covers innovative measures and recent methodological advances in mathematical thinking and learning Contains contributions that improve instruction and education in these domains Informs policy aimed at increasing the level of mathematical proficiency in the general public

Mathematics

Mathematics PDF Author: Keith Devlin
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780805073447
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 228

Get Book Here

Book Description
To most people, mathematics means working with numbers. But as Keith Devlin shows in Mathematics: The Science of Patterns, this definition has been out of date for nearly 2,500 years. Mathematicians now see their work as the study of patterns—real or imagined, visual or mental, arising from the natural world or from within the human mind. Using this basic definition as his central theme, Devlin explores the patterns of counting, measuring, reasoning, motion, shape, position, and prediction, revealing the powerful influence mathematics has over our perception of reality. Interweaving historical highlights and current developments, and using a minimum of formulas, Devlin celebrates the precision, purity, and elegance of mathematics.

Number

Number PDF Author: Tobias Dantzig
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9780452288119
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 420

Get Book Here

Book Description
"Beyond doubt the most interesting book on the evolution of mathematics which has ever fallen into my hands."—Albert Einstein Number is an eloquent, accessible tour de force that reveals how the concept of number evolved from prehistoric times through the twentieth century. Renowned professor of mathematics Tobias Dantzig shows that the development of math—from the invention of counting to the discovery of infinity—is a profoundly human story that progressed by “trying and erring, by groping and stumbling.” He shows how commerce, war, and religion led to advances in math, and he recounts the stories of individuals whose breakthroughs expanded the concept of number and created the mathematics that we know today.

Key to the Olney's Science of Arithmetic: In Which Are Given Full Solutions of All the Examples, and Rules for the Solution of the Problems

Key to the Olney's Science of Arithmetic: In Which Are Given Full Solutions of All the Examples, and Rules for the Solution of the Problems PDF Author: Edward Olney
Publisher: Legare Street Press
ISBN: 9781021706089
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
This comprehensive guide to Olney's Science of Arithmetic is an essential tool for anybody seeking to master this discipline. With full solutions to all the examples, and a comprehensive guide to the rules and principles that govern arithmetic, this book is the perfect resource for students and teachers alike. Whether you're a professional mathematician or just looking to brush up on your math skills, this book is an essential resource. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Math for Scientists

Math for Scientists PDF Author: Natasha Maurits
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319573543
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book reviews math topics relevant to non-mathematics students and scientists, but which they may not have seen or studied for a while. These math issues can range from reading mathematical symbols, to using complex numbers, dealing with equations involved in calculating medication equivalents, the General Linear Model (GLM) used in e.g. neuroimaging analysis, finding the minimum of a function, independent component analysis, or filtering approaches. Almost every student or scientist, will at some point run into mathematical formulas or ideas in scientific papers that may be hard to understand, given that formal math education may be some years ago. In this book we will explain the theory behind many of these mathematical ideas and expressions and provide readers with the tools to better understand them. We will revisit high school mathematics and extend and relate this to the mathematics you need to understand the math you may encounter in the course of your research. This book will help you understand the math and formulas in the scientific papers you read. To achieve this goal, each chapter mixes theory with practical pen-and-paper exercises such that you (re)gain experience with solving math problems yourself. Mnemonics will be taught whenever possible. To clarify the math and help readers apply it, each chapter provides real-world and scientific examples.

Mathematics for Computer Science

Mathematics for Computer Science PDF Author: Eric Lehman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789888407064
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 988

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book covers elementary discrete mathematics for computer science and engineering. It emphasizes mathematical definitions and proofs as well as applicable methods. Topics include formal logic notation, proof methods; induction, well-ordering; sets, relations; elementary graph theory; integer congruences; asymptotic notation and growth of functions; permutations and combinations, counting principles; discrete probability. Further selected topics may also be covered, such as recursive definition and structural induction; state machines and invariants; recurrences; generating functions.