拉普拉斯小妖 2020-02-12 14:02:21

Most of us picture mathematicians laboring before a chalkboard,
scribbling numbers and obscure symbols as they mutter unintelligibly.
This lighthearted (but realistic) sneak-peak into the everyday world of
mathematicians turns that stereotype on its head.Most people have little
idea what mathematicians do or how they think. It’s often difficult
to see how their seemingly arcane and esoteric work applies to our own
everyday lives. But mathematics also holds a special allure for many
people. We are drawn to its inherent beauty and fascinated by its
complexityâ€"but often intimidated by its presumed difficulty. The Secret Life of Numbers
opens our eyes to the joys of mathematics, introducing us to the
charming, often whimsical side, of the discipline. Divided into several
parts, the book looks at interesting and largely unknown historical
tidbits, introduces the largerthan- life practitioners of mathematics
through the ages, profiles some of the most significant unsolved
conjectures, and describes problems and puzzles that have already been
solved. Rounding out the table of contents is a host of mathematical
miscellanyâ€"all of which add up to 50 fun, sometimes cheeky, shorttakes
on the field. Chock full of stories, anecdotes, and entertaining
vignettes, The Secret Life of Numbers shows us how mathematics really
does affect almost every aspect of lifeâ€"from the law to geography,
elections to botanyâ€"and we come to appreciate the delight and
gratification that mathematics holds for all of us.