Weirder Maths: At the Edge of the Possible

by David Darling, Agnijo Banerjee

Overview

Even the most enthusiastic of maths students probably at one time wondered when exactly it would all prove useful in ‘real life’. Well, maths reaches so far and wide through our world that, love it or hate it, we’re all doing maths almost every minute of every day.

David Darling and Agnijo Banerjee go in search of the perfect labyrinth, journey back to the second century in pursuit of ‘bubble maths’, reveal the weirdest mathematicians in history and transform the bewildering into the beautiful, delighting us once again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786075086
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	08/13/2019
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

David Darling is a science writer, astronomer and tutor. He is the author of nearly fifty books, including the bestselling Equations of Eternity. He lives in Dundee, Scotland.

Together with Agnijo Banerjee, he is the co-author of the Weird Maths trilogy, and The Biggest Number in the World.

Agnijo Banerjee is one of the world’s most outstanding young mathematicians and a former student of David Darling’s. He was born in Kolkata, India, but has spent most of his life in Scotland. He is now continuing his studies at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Together with Darling, he is the co-author of the Weird Maths trilogy, and The Biggest Number in the World.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

1 Get Out of That 1

2 At the Vanishing Point 16

3 Seven Numbers That Rule the Universe 33

4 Through the Looking Glass 51

5 Maths for Art's Sake 74

6 Beyond the Imaginary 94

7 Tilings: Plain, Fancy, and Downright Peculiar 110

8 Weird Mathematicians 127

9 In the Realm of the Quantum 148

10 Bubbles, Double Bubbles, and Bubble Troubles 163

11 Just for the Fun of It 177

12 Shapes Weird and Wonderful 195

13 The Great Unknowns 211

14 Could Maths Be Any Different? 232

Acknowledgements 245

What People are Saying About This

author of The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers and c Bobby Seagull

‘The brilliant combination of an accomplished science writer and a young mathematical prodigy has resulted in page after page that oozes enthusiasm, clarity and intrigue… A weird but truly wonderful read.’

author of 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense an Michael Brooks

‘A grand tour of the most exotic locations in the mathematical cosmos. Weirder Maths is exhilarating and entertaining, and will leave you with a wide-eyed appreciation of the world of numbers.’

Interviews

"Darling and Banerjee take us on a captivating ride through a vast landscape of mathematics, touching on mesmerising topics that include randomness, higher dimensions, alien music, chess, chaos, prime numbers, cicadas, infinity, and more. Read this book and soar."

—Clifford A. Pickover, author of The Math Book: From Pythagoras to the 57th Dimension

Editorial Reviews

‘A grand tour of the most exotic locations in the mathematical cosmos. Weirder Maths is exhilarating and entertaining, and will leave you with a wide-eyed appreciation of the world of numbers.’

Michael Brooks

‘The brilliant combination of an accomplished science writer and a young mathematical prodigy has resulted in page after page that oozes enthusiasm, clarity and intrigue... A weird but truly wonderful read.’

Bobby Seagull

"[Darling and Banerjee] offer some beguiling insights on what math is about and how it has evolved."

—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher