The Neumann Prize–winning, illustrated exploration of mathematics—from its timeless mysteries to its history of mind-boggling discoveries.
Beginning millions of years ago with ancient “ant odometers” and moving through time to our modern-day quest for new dimensions, The Math Book covers 250 milestones in mathematical history. Among the numerous delights readers will learn about as they dip into this inviting anthology: cicada-generated prime numbers, magic squares from centuries ago, the discovery of pi and calculus, and the butterfly effect. Each topic is lavishly illustrated with colorful art, along with formulas and concepts, fascinating facts about scientists’ lives, and real-world applications of the theorems.
Clifford A. Pickover, a research staff member at IBM’s T. J. Watson Research Center, is an authority on the interface of science, art, mathematics, computing, and the visual modeling of data. He is the author of such highly regarded books as Black Holes: A Traveler’s Guide, The Alien IQ Test, and Chaos in Wonderland: Visual Adventures in a Fractal World.