The Millennium Problems - Hardcover

Devlin, Keith

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465017290 ISBN 13: 9780465017294

Publisher: Basic Books, 2002

Synopsis

The definitive lay reader's account of the Everests of mathematics--the seven unsolved problems that definethe state of the art in contemporary math. In 2000, the Clay Foundation of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced a historic competition: whoever could solve any of seven extraordinarily difficult mathematical problems, and have the solution acknowledged as correct by the experts, would receive USD1 million in prize money. There was some precedent for doing this: in 1900 David Hilbert, one of the greatest mathematicians of his day, proposed twenty-three problems, now known as the Hilbert Problems, that set much of the agenda for mathematics in the twentieth century. The Millennium Problems are likely to acquire similar stature, and their solution (or lack of one) is likely to play a strong role in determining the course of mathematics in the current century. Keith Devlin, renowned expositor of mathematics, tells here what the seven problems are, how they came about, and what they mean for math and science. These problems are the brass rings held out to today's mathematicians, glittering and just out of reach. In the hands of Keith Devlin, "the Math Guy" from NPR's "Weekend Edition," each Millennium Problem becomes a fascinating window onto the deepest and toughest questions in the field. For mathematicians, physicists, engineers, and everyone else with an interest in mathematics' cutting edge, The Millennium Problems is the definitive account of a subject that will have a very long shelf life.

About this title

Review

'Devlin expertly, entertainingly simplifies the complexities’ -- The Times

'a fascinating glimpse of what is happening at the cutting edge of contemporary mathematics' -- London Review Bookshop catalogue

‘The definitive account for the mathematically interested reader’ -- TheStar.com

About the Author

Keith Devlin is the Executive Director of the Centre for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University. He has written extensively about mathematics, including the highly praised The Math Gene. Keith Devlin is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a World Economic Forum Fellow, and a former member of the Mathematical Sciences Education Board of the National Academy of Sciences. He lives in Palo Alto, California.

Edition details

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0465017290
• ISBN 13: 9780465017294
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 237