000 02037nam a22001697a 4500
999 _c297149
_d297149
082 _a510.9 MAC-S
100 _aMackenzie, Dana
245 _aThe story of mathematics in 24 equations
_c Mackenzie, Dana
250 _a1st Ed.
260 _a London :
_b Modern Books, an imprint of Elwin Street Productions Limited,
_c2018. copyright2012.
300 _a 224 pages : illustrations (mostly colour) ; 24 cm.
500 _a First published as 'The universe in zero words : the story of mathematics as told through equations' in 2012 by Elwin Street Publications.
504 _a
505 _aNo history of art would be complete without pictures. Why, then, should a history of mathematics--the universal language of science--keep the masterpieces of the subject hidden behind a veil? The Story of Mathematics tells the history of twenty-four great and beautiful equations that have shaped mathematics, science, and society--from the elementary (1+1=2) to the sophisticated (the Black-Scholes formula for financial derivatives), and from the famous (E=mc2) to the arcane (Hamilton's quaternion equations). Mackenzie, who has been called "a popular-science ace" by Booklist magazine, lucidly explains what each equation means, who discovered it (and how), and how it has affected our lives. Illustrated in color throughout, the book tells the human and often-surprising stories behind the invention or discovery of the equations, from how a bad cigar changed the course of quantum mechanics to why whales (if they could communicate with us) would teach us a totally different concept of geometry. At the same time, the book shows why these equations have something timeless to say about the universe, and how they do it with an economy (zero words) that no other form of human expression can match. The Story of Mathematics is the ultimate introduction and guide to equations that have changed the world.
650 _a History in mathematics education. Mathematics -- Study and teaching. Equations -- Popular works.
942 _cBK