The Millennium Problems: The Seven Greatest Unsolved Mathematical Puzzles Of Our Time - Softcover

Devlin, Keith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0465017304 ISBN 13: 9780465017300

Publisher: Basic Books, 2003

Synopsis

In 2000, the Clay Foundation 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 1 million in prize money. There was some precedent for doing this: In 1900 the mathematician David Hilbert proposed twenty-three problems that set much of the agenda for mathematics in the twentieth century. The Millennium Problems- chosen by a committee of the leading mathematicians in the world- are likely to acquire similar stature, and their solution (or lack of it) is likely to play a strong role in determining the course of mathematics in the twenty-first century. Keith Devlin, renowned expositor of mathematics and one of the authors of the Clay Institute's official description of the problems, here provides the definitive account for the mathematically interested reader.

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

Synopsis

The definitive account of the Everests of mathematics--the seven unsolved problems that define the state of the art in contemporary math. In 2000, the Clay Foundation 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 the mathematician David Hilbert proposed twenty-three problems that set much of the agenda for mathematics in the twentieth century. The Millennium Problems--chosen by a committee of the leading mathematicians in the world--are likely to acquire similar stature, and their solution (or lack of it) is likely to play a strong role in determining the course of mathematics in the twenty-first century. Keith Devlin, renowned expositor of mathematics and one of the authors of the Clay Institute's official description of the problems, here provides the definitive account for the mathematically interested reader.

Edition details

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0465017304
• ISBN 13: 9780465017300
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256