What's the use? : how mathematics shapes everyday life / Ian Stewart.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stewart, Ian, 1945- author.

Contributor:

Rosengarten Family Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mathematics--Popular works.

Mathematics.

Genre:

Popular works.

Physical Description:

326 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First US edition.

Other Title:

What is the use?

Place of Publication:

New York : Basic Books, 2021.

Summary:

"An esteemed mathematician shows how math powers the world, from technology to health care and beyond"-- Provided by publisher

Almost all of us have sat in a math class, wondering if we would ever use it in the real world. Stewart argues that math isn't just about boring computations: it's a means to achieve great things, such as space exploration and organ donation. He shows that trigonometry is essential to keeping a satellite in orbit, and how the prime numbers power the world's most advanced security systems. Math isn't just relevant to our lives. It is the very fabric of our existence. -- adapted from jacket

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. Unreasonable Effectiveness

2. How Politicians Pick Their Voters

3. Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

4. The Kidneys of Konigsberg

5. Stay Safe in Cyberspace

6. The Number Plane

7. Papa, Can You Multiply Triplets?

8. Boing!

9. Trust Me, I'm a Transform

10. Smile, Please!

11. Are We Nearly There Yet?

12. De-Ising the Arctic

13. Call the Topologist

14. The Fox and the Hedgehog.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 299-307) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Rosengarten Family Fund.

ISBN:

9781541699489

1541699483

OCLC:

1262990477