Mathematical Cranks (Spectrum) - Softcover

Dudley, Underwood

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0883855070 ISBN 13: 9780883855072

Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America, 1996

Synopsis

A delightful collection of articles about people who claim they have achieved the mathematically impossible (squaring the circle, duplicating the cube); people who think they have done something they have not (proving Fermat's Last Theorem); people who pray in matrices; people who find the American Revolution ruled by the number 57; people who have in common eccentric mathematical views, some mild (thinking we should count by 12s instead of 10s), some bizarre (thinking that second-order differential equations will solve all problems of economics, politics and philosophy). This is a truly unique book. It is written with wit and style and is a part of folk mathematics.

About this title

Review:

'A delightful collection of true accounts of individuals who claim to have achieved the mathematically impossible ... It is hard to put down and provides topics for an unending series of interesting discussions. The organization and breadth of the book are impressive, supported by a helpful index and a list of resources that encourage further explorations. A classic.' Choice

'Dudley Underwood extracts insights from an astonishing variety of examples.' Robert Matthews, New Scientist

Book Description:

A delightful collection of articles about people who claim they have achieved the mathematically impossible (squaring the circle, duplicating the cube); people who think they have done something they have not (proving Fermat's Last Theorem) and people with very eccentric views (thinking that second-order differential equations will solve all problems of economics, politics and philosophy).

About this edition

• Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0883855070
• ISBN 13: 9780883855072
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 383