Strange Curves, Counting Rabbits, & Other Mathematical Explorations by Keith Ball

Strange Curves, Counting Rabbits, & Other Mathematical Explorations by Keith Ball

How does mathematics enable us to send pictures from space back to Earth? Where does the bell-shaped curve come from? Drawing on areas of mathematics from probability theory, number theory, and geometry, this work highlights how ideas, mostly from pure math, can answer these questions. It includes puzzles and problems of varying difficulty.

One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2004 "Keith Ball demonstrated that though math may not be laugh-out-loud hilarious, it is deeply and gloriously satisfying.. Ball's style is pacy and informal, and he does far more than just show off polished results. This is math with the hood up and the engine running."--Ben Longstaff, New Scientist "A recreational math book with enough heft to give its intended audience a series of mental workouts, ranging from the rough equivalent of a stroll to the corner mailbox to a hard mile run. The writing style is open and engaging."--Choice "A gem... Each topic is taken up in a setting that immediately generates interest ... Ball's achievement is to have come up with a selection of topics which are fresh and unusual... It is a pleasure to report that the book is written in limpid, graceful, elegant English prose--nowadays a nearly vanished species."--Stacy G. Langton, MAA Online "The author's writing style is informal, inviting, and clear... This book gives a lively and carefully written treatment of a number of interesting topics... The range of topics is wide, so even the experienced mathematician may learn something new."--Harold R. Parks, Notices of the American Mathematical Society "[I]f you salivate at the thought of working those calculations, then run don't walk to the bookshop--for once they've produced a book just for you."--Peter Spitz, Popular Science

Keith Ball is Professor of Mathematics at University College London and a Royal Society Leverhulme Research Fellow. Well known for his entertaining public lectures on mathematics, he is also the author of a graduate-level introduction to convex geometry in a textbook on geometry.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780691127972
ISBN 10	0691127972
Title	Strange Curves, Counting Rabbits, & Other Mathematical Explorations
Author	Keith Ball
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Princeton University Press
Year published	2006-11-05
Number of pages	272
Prizes	Short-listed for Choice Magazine Outstanding Reference/Academic Book Award 2004
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.