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Author: Steve Nadis
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781541604292
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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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.
Author: Steve Nadis
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781541604292
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Get Book Here
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.
Author: Steve Nadis
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 154160430X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 211
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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.
Author: Shing-Tung Yau
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300245521
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 449
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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
Author: Paul Nahin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691185026
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 319
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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.
Author: Douglas W. MacDougal
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461454441
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 442
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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.
Author: Shing-Tung Yau
Publisher: Il Saggiatore
ISBN: 0465020232
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 398
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Book Description
The leading mind behind the mathematics of string theory discusses how geometry explains the universe we see. Illustrations.
Author: Charles W. Misner
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691177791
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1332
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Book Description
Spacetime physics -- Physics in flat spacetime -- The mathematics of curved spacetime -- Einstein's geometric theory of gravity -- Relativistic stars -- The universe -- Gravitational collapse and black holes -- Gravitational waves -- Experimental tests of general relativity -- Frontiers
Author: R.K. Sachs
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461299039
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 302
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Book Description
This is a book about physics, written for mathematicians. The readers we have in mind can be roughly described as those who: I. are mathematics graduate students with some knowledge of global differential geometry 2. have had the equivalent of freshman physics, and find popular accounts of astrophysics and cosmology interesting 3. appreciate mathematical elarity, but are willing to accept physical motiva tions for the mathematics in place of mathematical ones 4. are willing to spend time and effort mastering certain technical details, such as those in Section 1. 1. Each book disappoints so me readers. This one will disappoint: 1. physicists who want to use this book as a first course on differential geometry 2. mathematicians who think Lorentzian manifolds are wholly similar to Riemannian ones, or that, given a sufficiently good mathematical back ground, the essentials of a subject !ike cosmology can be learned without so me hard work on boring detaiis 3. those who believe vague philosophical arguments have more than historical and heuristic significance, that general relativity should somehow be "proved," or that axiomatization of this subject is useful 4. those who want an encyclopedic treatment (the books by Hawking-Ellis [1], Penrose [1], Weinberg [1], and Misner-Thorne-Wheeler [I] go further into the subject than we do; see also the survey article, Sachs-Wu [1]). 5. mathematicians who want to learn quantum physics or unified fieId theory (unfortunateIy, quantum physics texts all seem either to be for physicists, or merely concerned with formaI mathematics).
Author: Bernard Schutz
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139457349
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 490
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Book Description
This book invites the reader to understand our Universe, not just marvel at it. From the clock-like motions of the planets to the catastrophic collapse of a star into a black hole, gravity controls the Universe. Gravity is central to modern physics, helping to answer the deepest questions about the nature of time, the origin of the Universe and the unification of the forces of nature. Linking key experiments and observations through careful physical reasoning, the author builds the reader's insight step-by-step from simple but profound facts about gravity on Earth to the frontiers of research. Topics covered include the nature of stars and galaxies, the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, black holes, gravitational waves, inflation and the Big Bang. Suitable for general readers and for undergraduate courses, the treatment uses only high-school level mathematics, supplemented by optional computer programs, to explain the laws of physics governing gravity.
Author: Max Tegmark
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307744256
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 434
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Book Description
Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist. Fascinating from first to last—this is a book that has already prompted the attention and admiration of some of the most prominent scientists and mathematicians.
