The Maths Gene : Why Everyone Has It, but Most People Don't Use It

Devlin, Keith J.

ISBN 10: 075381126X / ISBN 13: 9780753811269

Published by Orion Publishing Group, Limited, 2001

About this Item

Ships from the UK. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.

Seller Inventory # GRP95382995

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Maths Gene : Why Everyone Has It, but Most People Don't Use It
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Group, Limited
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 075381126X
• ISBN 13: 9780753811269
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Good
• Weight: 0.441 pounds

About this title

Synopsis

Where does our mathematical ability come from? Our prehistoric ancestors' brains were essentially the same as ours, so they must have had the same underlying ability. What purpose could it serve in 50,000 BC? And what exactly goes on in our brains when we multiply 15 by 36 or prove Fermat's Last Theorem? The answer, according to Keith Devlin, is closely related to the evolutionary changes in the human brain that gave rise to language. It lies within our genes and more specifically with the pattern-making abilities with which we are born. Devlin uses these insights to show why some people loathe mathematics, why others find it so difficult, and why a select few excel at the subject. He also suggests ways in which we can improve our mathematical skills.

About the Author

Keith Devlin is Senior Researcher at the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University, Professor of Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh and Dean of Science at Saint Mary's College of California. He has written a regular column on mathematics for the Guardian since 1983, and is the award-winning author of 24 books about mathematics and well as an experienced broadcaster.