99 Variations on a Proof / Philip Ording.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ording, Philip, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mathematics--Philosophy.

Mathematics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (273 pages)

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2019]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

An exploration of the art of mathematics through 99 different proofs of the same theoremThis lively and compelling book offers a unique, multifaceted perspective on mathematics by demonstrating 99 different proofs of the same theorem. Each chapter solves an otherwise unremarkable equation in distinct historical, formal, and imaginative styles that range from "Medieval," "Topological," and "Doggerel" to "Chromatic," "Electrostatic," and "Psychedelic." Along the way, Philip Ording weaves these variations into an accessible and wide-ranging narrative on the nature and practice of mathematics.Inspired by the experiments of the Paris-based writing group known as the Oulipo-whose members included Raymond Queneau, Italo Calvino, and Marcel Duchamp-Ording explores new ways to examine the aesthetic possibilities of mathematical activity. This mathematical take on Queneau's Exercises in Style-a collection of 99 retellings of the same story-draws unexpected connections to everything from mysticism and technology to architecture and sign language and includes diagrams, notations, and other imagery that are as amusing as they are edifying. With a rare blend of humor and scholarly aplomb, Ording illustrates the inherent creative potential and flexibility of mathematical language despite its reputation for precision and rigor.Readers of this playful and expansive compendium of mathematical exposition and style will gain not only a bird's-eye view of the discipline and its major branches but also new insights into its historical, philosophical, and cultural nuances. Every reader, no matter their level of expertise, will discover in these proofs surprising new aspects of the mathematical landscape.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

0. Omitted

1. One-Line

2. Two-Column

3. Illustrated

4. Elementary

5. Puzzle

6. Axiomatic

7. Found

8. Prerequisite

9. Monosyllabic

10. Wordless

11. Exam

12. Ruler and Compass

13. Reductio ad Absurdum

14. Contrapositive

15. Matrices

16. Ancient

17. Interpreted

18. Indented

19. Jargon

20. Definitional

21. Blackboard

22. Substitution

23. Symmetry

24. Another Symmetry

25. Open Collaborative

26. Auditory

27. Algorithmic

28. Flow Chart

29. Model

30. Formulaic

31. Counterexample

32. Another Counterexample

33 Calculus

34. Medieval

35. Typeset

36. Social Media

37. Preprint

38. Parataxis

39. Origami

40. Induction

41 Newsprint

42. Analytic

43. Screenplay

44. Omitted with Condescension

45. Verbal

46. Cute

47. Clever

48. Computer Assisted

49. Outsider

50. Chromatic

51. Topological

52. Antiquity

53. Marginalia

54. Arborescent

55. Prefix

56. Prefix

57. Calculator

58. Inventor’s Paradox

59. Patented

60. Geometric

61. Modern

62. Axonometric

63. Back to the Envelope

64. Research Seminar

65. Tea

66. Hand Waving

67. Approximate

68. Word Problem

69. Statistical

70. Another Medieval

71. Blog

72. Translated

73. Another Translated

74. Yet Another Translated

75. Slide Rule

76. Experimental

77. Monte Carlo

78. Probabilistic

79. Intuitionist

80. Paranoid

81. Doggerel

82. Inconsistency

83. Correspondence

84. Tabular

85. Exhaustion

86. Another Substitution

87. Mechanical

88. Dialogue

89. Interior Monologue

90. Retrograde

91. Mystical

. 92. Refereed

93. Neologism

94. Authority

95. First Person

96. Electrostatic

97. Psychedelic

98. Mondegreen

99. Prescribed

Postscript.

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 06. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9780691185422

0691185425

OCLC:

1077292089