Basic Books In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World

Ian Stewart is a master of writing mathematics that can be understood. This latest addition to his literature brings to the casual reader 17 of the equations the author believes have changed the world. Some will be known to almost all and some are more embedded in everyday use rather than everyday knowledge. But the authors ability to describe the equations, history and importance follows in each of his chapters.The equations covered starts with Pythagoras's Theorom, then discusses logarithms, the limit equation in calculus, newtons gravity, the properties of i, eulers formula for topology, the normal distribution, the wave equation, the fourier transform, navier-stokes, maxwell's equations, the second law of thermodynamics, E=MC^2, schrodingers equation, shannon's theorem in information theory, basic chaos from dynamical systems and the black and scholes equations.From the first chapter the author brings illumination to his topics combining intuition with his insight. For example in Pythagoras's Theorem, the author discusses its properties, how it was interpreted (as relation of areas, as relation of triange etc) to what it tells us about geometry. Most of us are familiar with the equation but some subtle but very important details are provided and pondered- with a result that creates a certain awe.The book is filled with insight and description that can be understood by the casual reader. This is not a math book, some of the chapters have some relatively sophisticated mathematical ideas, but they are peripheral rather than core to the chapter. The book gives a sense of history and describes much of the pratical significance of the math the author introduces. I highly recommend this to all interested in how math affects the real world in application as well as to those just interested in the history some of our most important equations.

I've read quite a few chapters. I think it does cover 17 very important equations (especially for myself as an engineer). I think that technical books have to suit a person's existing knowledge, and this book seems to suit me very well. I find it generally very well written. It is clear (it does a very good job of explaining the equations in words), and has a very good blend of history, technical explanation and examples. I find it enjoyable and educational. The fact that it is written by an experienced, world renowned mathematician adds to my confidence in the book. At over 300 pages with some useful black and white figures, I think it is very good value for money (it is also very well laid out and accessible). It can be read from cover-to-cover, but each chapter can stand alone, so the book can be used for reference purposes.

The person loved it.

Un livre captivant qui raconte la genèse de 17 équations fondamentales et quelques unes de leurs conséquences sur notre vie de tous les jours.

Das ist ein Buch fuer Mathematikaffive Leute, aber wer Gleichungen mag wird es lieben.Selbst für einen Mathematiker vergnüglich und lehrreich.