Calculating the Cosmos: How Mathematics Unveils the Universe - Softcover

Stewart, Professor Ian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1781257183 ISBN 13: 9781781257180

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd, 2016

Synopsis

Ian Stewart's up-to-the-minute guide to the cosmos moves from the earth and the planets to the galaxy and the universe. He describes how galaxies, stars and planets form, why stars implode, how everything began, and how it's going to end. He considers parallel universes, fine-tuning of the cosmos, whether life on earth will be snuffed out by a comet, and what extra-terrestrial life may be like. He provides crystal clear accounts of gravity, spacetime, relativity and quantum theory, and how they relate to each other. Mathematics has been the driving force in astronomy and cosmology since the ancient Egyptians. Professor Stewart shows how Kepler's work on the planets led to Newton's law of gravity, which in turn inspired Einstein's theories of relativity. He examines current challenges to Big Bang Theory and how the next scientific revolution may once again transform understanding of the universe and our place within it.

About this title

Review

With captivating stories and his signature clarity, Ian Stewart shows us how math makes the world-and the rest of the universe-go round. -- Steven Strogatz, professor of mathematics, Cornell University, and author of 'The Joy of x' Calculating the Cosmos is an epic journey from the beginning of time to the edge of the universe, with mathematics as our fuel. Ian Stewart tells a gripping tale of how the power of mathematics uncovers the secrets of the cosmos, but also, of how the cosmos always has more secrets up its vast sleeve. He captures the excitement of mathematical discovery side by side with the intrigue of the unknown and the wonder of the unknowable. -- Eugenia Cheng, Mathematician, Scientist-In-Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and author of 'How to Bake Pi' In Calculating the Cosmos, Ian Stewart offers readers a marvelous, behind-the-scenes look, from a mathematician's perspective, at how science is able to perform its magic-from landing space probes on planets, moons, and comets to mapping out the history and fate of the universe as a whole. With compelling, crystal-clear prose, laced with delightful analogies, Stewart brings the calculations behind astronomy and other scientific fields to life. With Stewart's excellent guide to the cosmos in hand, everything does compute-splendidly adding up to a fun, fascinating read. -- Paul Halpern, author of 'Einstein's Dice' and 'Schroedinger's Cat' Praise for previous books: 'This is not pure maths. It is maths contaminated with wit, wisdom, and wonder. Ian really is unsurpassed as raconteur of the world of numbers. He guides us on a mind-boggling journey from the ultra trivial to the profound. Thoroughly entertaining * New Scientist * Stewart is Britain's most brilliant and prolific populariser of maths. -- Alex Bellos Stewart has served up the instructive equivalent of a Michelin-starred tasting menu, or perhaps a smorgasbord of appetisers. And of course, appetisers are designed to give you an appetite for more * Guardian *

From the Author

Ian Stewart is Mathematics Professor Emeritus at the University of Warwick. His books include Incredible Numbers, Seventeen Equations that Changed the World, The Great Mathematical Problems and Professor Stewart's Casebook of Mathematical Mysteries. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society; his awards include the Royal Society's Faraday Medal (1995), the IMA Gold Medal (2000), the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Public Understanding of Science and Technology Award (2001), the Zeeman Medal (2008), and the Lewis Thomas Prize (2015 with Steven Strogatz).

Edition details

• Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1781257183
• ISBN 13: 9781781257180
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 352