Like masterpieces of art, music, and literature, great mathematical theorems are creative milestones, works of genius destined to last forever. Now William Dunham gives them the attention they deserve. Dunham places each theorem within its historical context and explores the very human and often turbulent life of the creator -- from Archimedes, the absentminded theoretician whose absorption in his work often precluded eating or bathing, to Gerolamo Cardano, the sixteenth-century mathematician whose accomplishments ...
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Like masterpieces of art, music, and literature, great mathematical theorems are creative milestones, works of genius destined to last forever. Now William Dunham gives them the attention they deserve. Dunham places each theorem within its historical context and explores the very human and often turbulent life of the creator -- from Archimedes, the absentminded theoretician whose absorption in his work often precluded eating or bathing, to Gerolamo Cardano, the sixteenth-century mathematician whose accomplishments flourished despite a bizarre array of misadventures, to the paranoid genius of modern times, Georg Cantor. He also provides step-by-step proofs for the theorems, each easily accessible to readers with no more than a knowledge of high school mathematics. A rare combination of the historical, biographical, and mathematical, Journey Through Genius is a fascinating introduction to a neglected field of human creativity. "It is mathematics presented as a series of works of art; a fascinating lingering over individual examples of ingenuity and insight. It is mathematics by lightning flash." --Isaac Asimov
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Seller's Description:
Good. All pages and cover are intact. Possible slightly loose binding, minor highlighting and marginalia, cocked spine or torn dust jacket. Maybe an ex-library copy and not include the accompanying CDs, access codes or other supplemental materials.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. Book has internal/external wear and/or highlighting and underlining. It may have creases on the cover and some folded pages. This is a USED book. Codes have been used. All items ship Monday-Friday within 2-3 business days. Thank you for supporting Goodwill of OC.
I've just finished the first chapter... a treasure! The exposition was perfect for recreational reading but with satisfying rigor in the presentation of the proofs. I look forward to reading the rest of the book. I may write more after I finish the book. But so far I can say it is a must read for anyone who wants to solidify their grounding in mathematics. I wish I had read this during high school!
MikeMcGarry
Apr 1, 2007
Brilliant Math for Everyone!
As Dunham points out, most of the great works of art are readily available to anyone. Anyone can listen to a Beethoven symphony or see the Mona Lisa. The truly beautiful theorems of mathematics, though, are considered arcana, and are little know by even the most intelligent folks in other fields. With this book, Dunham is attempting to "democratize" the great math theorems. He has chosen ten theorems which he considered (rightly) some of the most beautiful, most elegant, of all time. Assuming the reader has no more than an Algebra Two level of expertise with math, he leads the way step by step through each theorem, so the reader can have the thrill of enjoying the mathematical "aha!" at core of these theorems. He fleshes out each with some biographical data about the mathematiciam involved, and does a good job explaining each theorem's antecedents and consequences in the history of math. For any intelligent reader who doesn't mind a little algebraic thinking and who, after many year's hiatus, really wants to understand what is amazing about the discipline of mathematics, I do not think a better book than this exists. Furthermore, for folks in technical fields who are unfamiliar with the history of math, this is a wonderful playground to which you will return time and time again.
