The Spirit of Mathematics: Algebra and all that
What makes mathematics so special?

Whether you have anxious memories of the subject from school, or solve quadratic equations for fun, David Acheson's book will make you look at mathematics afresh. Following on from his previous bestsellers, The Calculus Story and The Wonder Book of Geometry, here Acheson highlights the power of algebra, combining it with arithmetic and geometry to capture the spirit of mathematics. This short book encompasses an astonishing array of ideas and concepts, from number tricks and magic squares to infinite series and imaginary numbers.

Acheson's enthusiasm is infectious, and, as ever, a sense of quirkiness and fun pervades the book. But it also seeks to crystallize what is special about mathematics: the delight of discovery; the importance of proof; and the joy of contemplating an elegant solution. Using only the simplest of materials, it conjures up the depth and the magic of the subject.
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The Spirit of Mathematics: Algebra and all that
What makes mathematics so special?

Whether you have anxious memories of the subject from school, or solve quadratic equations for fun, David Acheson's book will make you look at mathematics afresh. Following on from his previous bestsellers, The Calculus Story and The Wonder Book of Geometry, here Acheson highlights the power of algebra, combining it with arithmetic and geometry to capture the spirit of mathematics. This short book encompasses an astonishing array of ideas and concepts, from number tricks and magic squares to infinite series and imaginary numbers.

Acheson's enthusiasm is infectious, and, as ever, a sense of quirkiness and fun pervades the book. But it also seeks to crystallize what is special about mathematics: the delight of discovery; the importance of proof; and the joy of contemplating an elegant solution. Using only the simplest of materials, it conjures up the depth and the magic of the subject.
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The Spirit of Mathematics: Algebra and all that

The Spirit of Mathematics: Algebra and all that

by David Acheson
The Spirit of Mathematics: Algebra and all that

The Spirit of Mathematics: Algebra and all that

by David Acheson

Hardcover

$19.99 
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Overview

What makes mathematics so special?

Whether you have anxious memories of the subject from school, or solve quadratic equations for fun, David Acheson's book will make you look at mathematics afresh. Following on from his previous bestsellers, The Calculus Story and The Wonder Book of Geometry, here Acheson highlights the power of algebra, combining it with arithmetic and geometry to capture the spirit of mathematics. This short book encompasses an astonishing array of ideas and concepts, from number tricks and magic squares to infinite series and imaginary numbers.

Acheson's enthusiasm is infectious, and, as ever, a sense of quirkiness and fun pervades the book. But it also seeks to crystallize what is special about mathematics: the delight of discovery; the importance of proof; and the joy of contemplating an elegant solution. Using only the simplest of materials, it conjures up the depth and the magic of the subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780192845085
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 03/09/2023
Pages: 192
Product dimensions: 7.50(w) x 5.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

David Acheson, Emeritus Fellow, Jesus College, University of Oxford, University of Oxford

David Acheson is Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, and was the University's first winner of a National Teaching Fellowship in 2004. He was President of the Mathematical Association from 2010 to 2011, and now lectures widely on mathematics to young people and the general public. In 2013, Acheson was awarded an Honorary D.Sc. by the University of East Anglia for his outstanding work in the popularisation of mathematics. His books include 1089 and All That (OUP, 2002), The Calculus Story, (OUP, 2017), and The Wonder Book of Geometry, (OUP, 2020).

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. Whatever Happened to A, B, and C? 3. The 1089 Trick4. Another Kind of Magic5 Just Imagine...6. A Most Unusual Lecture7. Why Are Mathematicians Obsessed by Proof? 8. Puzzling Mathematics9. Why Does (-1) × (-1) = +1-10. It's a Square World11. Algebra in Action12. 'Compleating the Square'13. Slices of Pi14. The Golden Ratio15. Proof by Chocolate16. The Puzzled Farmer17. Mathematics and Snooker18. The Wicked Schoolteacher19. Trains, Boats, and Planes20 I've Seen That Before, Somewhere ...21 An Apple Falls ...22. Rollercoaster Mathematics23. The Electric Guitar Revisited24. The Domino Effect25. Real or Imaginary? 26. The Square Root of Minus One27 Inspector Riemann Investigates ...28. Infinite Danger29. 1 + 1 to the Rescue!30 And Finally ...Notes and referencesFurther ReadingIndex
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