The Music of the Primes: Why an Unsolved Problem in Mathematics Matters - Softcover

Marcus Du Sautoy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841155802 ISBN 13: 9781841155807

Publisher: HarperPerennial, 2004

Synopsis

The paperback of the critically-acclaimed popular science book by a writer who is fast becoming a celebrity mathematician.

Prime numbers are the very atoms of arithmetic. They also embody one of the most tantalising enigmas in the pursuit of human knowledge. How can one predict when the next prime number will occur? Is there a formula which could generate primes? These apparently simple questions have confounded mathematicians ever since the Ancient Greeks.

In 1859, the brilliant German mathematician Bernard Riemann put forward an idea which finally seemed to reveal a magical harmony at work in the numerical landscape. The promise that these eternal, unchanging numbers would finally reveal their secret thrilled mathematicians around the world. Yet Riemann, a hypochondriac and a troubled perfectionist, never publicly provided a proof for his hypothesis and his housekeeper burnt all his personal papers on his death.

Whoever cracks Riemann's hypothesis will go down in history, for it has implications far beyond mathematics. In business, it is the lynchpin for security and e-commerce. In science, it has critical ramifications in Quantum Mechanics, Chaos Theory, and the future of computing. Pioneers in each of these fields are racing to crack the code and a prize of $1 million has been offered to the winner. As yet, it remains unsolved.

In this breathtaking book, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy tells the story of the eccentric and brilliant men who have struggled to solve one of the biggest mysteries in science. It is a story of strange journeys, last-minute escapes from death and the unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Above all, it is a moving and awe-inspiring evocation of the mathematician's world and the beauties and mysteries it contains.

About this title

Review

'Du Sautoy is a contagious enthusiast, a populist with a staunch faith in the public's intelligence...he has uncovered a wealth of intriguing anecdotes that he has woven into a compelling narrative.' Observer

'He laces the ideas with history, anecdote and personalia – an entertaining mix that renders an austere subject palatable...valiant and ingenious...Even those with a mathematical allergy can enjoy du Sautoy's depictions of his cast of characters' The Times

'He brings hugely enjoyable writing, full of zest and passion, to the most fundamental questions in the pursuit of true knowledge.' Sunday Times

'A mesmerising journey into the world of mathematics and its mysteries.' Daily Mail

'A brilliant storyteller.' Independent

From the Back Cover

Prime numbers are the atoms of arithmetic, the building blocks for all other numbers. In school, we are taught that a prime is one that cannot be divided evenly by any other number except one and itself. What we are not taught is that primes represent the most tantalizing mystery in the pursuit of human knowledge. How can one predict when the next prime number will occur? Is there a formula that could generate primes? Where is the pattern behind these elusive numbers? These questions have formed a riddle that has confounded mathematicians since the ancient Greeks. The answer would revolutionize the world of math, and much more.

Nearly 150 years ago, a German mathematician named Bernard Riemann came as close as anyone has ever come to solving this problem. In 1859 he presented a paper on the subject of prime numbers to the Berlin Academy. At the heart of his presentation was an idea -- a hypothesis -- that seemed to reveal a magical harmony between primes and other numbers. It was an idea that Riemann argued was very likely to be true. But after his death, his housekeeper burned all of his personal papers, and to this day, no one knows whether he ever found the proof.

By now, the Riemann Hypothesis has become the number one obsession for the world's leading mathematicians. Considered to be even more difficult and more important than Fermat's Last Theorem, Riemann's solution would serve as a periodic table in charting the entire mathematical universe. But it has implications that go far beyond math. It is of tremendous importance in business, since prime numbers are the linchpin for security in banking and e-commerce. It is also the idea that brings together vastly different areas of science, with critical ramifications for Quantum Mechanics, Chaos Theory, and the future of computing. Pioneers in each of these fields are racing to crack the code, and a prize of one million dollars has been offered to the winner.

In this remarkable book, Marcus du Sautoy tells a story of eccentric and brilliant men, and of the unquenchable thirst for knowledge that has driven some to madness and others to glory. Illuminating, authoritative, and extremely engaging,The Music of the Primes provides the extraordinary history behind the holy grail of mathematics and the ongoing quest to capture it.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperPerennial
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1841155802
• ISBN 13: 9781841155807
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 366