Mathematical Scandals
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Book Overview
In this highly readable volume of vignettes of mathematical scandals and gossip, Theoni Pappas assembles 29 fascinating stories of intrigue and the bizarre -- in short, the human background of the history of mathematics. Might a haberdasher have changed Einstein's life? Why was the first woman mathematician murdered? How come there's no Nobel Prize in mathematics? Mathematics is principally about numbers, equations, and solutions, all of them precise and timeless. But, behind this arcane matter lies the sometimes sordid world of real people, whose rivalries and deceptions are at odds with the mathematician's reputation for clear thinking and scientific detachment.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:188455010X
ISBN13:9781884550102
Release Date:April 1997
Publisher:Wide World Publishing
Length:160 Pages
Weight:0.55 lbs.
Dimensions:0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"
Age Range:10 years and up
Grade Range:Grade 6 to Postsecondary
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Wonderful Gift for Math People!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
I did not read this book, but gave this as a gift to a friend/ former senior math lecturer for his birthday. He loved it very much and shared it with other department members (professors, lecturers, etc.), who also enjoyed reading this very much. Very recommended!
Makes Math People Seem Like People
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
You do not have to be a mathematician to read and enjoy this book. This book shows that math has not been created by logical, unemotional, robots, but instead by flesh and blood men and women who have all the foibles of ordinary folks. After reading this book, when a name like Cantor's comes up, you can say "Oh yes, I understand he suffered several nervous breakdowns." This book provides material in a very accessible form, material that otherwize is hard to find.
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