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Seventeen Equations that Changed the World

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But the verdict of science and technology is that words are too imprecise, and too limited, to provide an effective route to the deeper aspects of reality. I think that technical books have to suit a person's existing knowledge, and this book seems to suit me very well. Ian Stewart stellt hier 17 mathematische Formeln, ihren jeweiligen historischen Hintergrund, das Teilgebiet der Mathematik, aus dem sie entstanden oder das sie begründeten, ihre (mathematische) Bedeutung und die naturwissenschaftlichen, technologischen, gesellschaftlichen oder politischen Implikationen vor.

His book takes a look at the most pivotal equations of all time, and puts them in a human, rather than technical context. Some of the explanations are quite complex, especially where Stewart is exploring the most recent applications of older ideas.

The book has an admirable focus on the practical applications of science, but some of this is presented with such limited detail that in a couple of places it devolves into lists of applications rather than real explanations. There's been a trend for a couple of years in popular science to produce 'n greatest ideas' type books, the written equivalent of those interminable '50 best musicals' or '100 favourite comedy moments' or whatever shows that certain TV companies churn out. History: Imaginary numbers were originally posited by famed gambler/mathematician Girolamo Cardano, then expanded by Rafael Bombelli and John Wallis.

He used the Second Law of Thermodynamics as an example, as it is a very fundamental physical law that should be familiar to everyone. It tells us how the attractive force between two bodies depends on their masses, and how far apart they are. Das macht dieses Buch thematisch sehr umfangreich: man bekommt einen Einblick in Analysis, Topologie, Stochastik und mathematische Physik, während die gesellschaftlichen Implikationen von DNA-Entschlüsselung und digitaler Bildbearbeitung zum Klimawandel und der Finanzkrise von 2008 reichen. P. Snow's much-quoted complaint that educated people felt (perhaps still feel) quite comfortable not being able to explain the concepts of mass, or acceleration - the scientific equivalent of being able to read - and indeed have little more understanding of these concepts than their Neolithic ancestors.To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Indeed, it is different: Einstein’s general theory of relativity improves on Newton by fitting some observations better, while not messing up those where we already know Newton’s Law does a good job.

An entertaining journey through the development of theoretical mathematics, as well as an informative look at applied science. 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). Around 250 BC Euclid became the first modern mathematician when he wrote his famous Elements, the most influential mathematical textbook ever.The Shannon entropy of a message represents a lower bound on how much that message can be compressed without losing some of its content. Qualities: It was informative, credible (with citations to peer-reviewed evidence), well-written, entertaining, and well-organized. The Maclean's magazine review described the book as a "history of the human species told in equations" by the "finest living math popularizer". Die behandelte Mathematik ist absolut nicht einfach (manches in den ersten Kapiteln schon, aber es wird recht schnell happig).

Here is Ian Stewart very worthily setting out to explain 17 equations, some of them pretty complicated, to the general reader. An interesting idea, but I found the book to be so badly written that it didn't really hold my attention. Until the development of the digital computer, this was the most common way to quickly multiply together large numbers, greatly speeding up calculations in physics, astronomy, and engineering. For example, we can think of velocity, or speed, as being the derivative of position — if you are walking at 3 miles per hour, then every hour, you have changed your position by 3 miles. 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.In In Pursuit of the Unknown, celebrated mathematician Ian Stewart untangles the roots of our most important mathematical statements to show that equations have long been a driving force behind nearly every aspect of our lives. D. in Physics, I was familiar with all but one of these equations, but the author certainly broadens one's appreciation of the effects of these equations on the course of human history. This observation, along with with Euler's solution to the Bridges of Konigsburg problem , paved the way to the development of topology, a branch of math essential to modern physics. General relativity is essential to our understanding of the origins, structure, and ultimate fate of the universe.

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