Numbers: histories, mysteries, theories
Beutelspacher, Albrecht
Numbers: histories, mysteries, theories - Mineola: Dover Publications, 2015. - viii, 104 p.: ill.; pb; 23 cm. - Aurora: Dover modern math originals .
Includes bibliographical references and index.
HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS. Posing the question "What exactly is a number?" a distinguished German mathematician presents this intriguing and accessible survey. Albrecht Beutelspracher - founder of the renowned interactive mathematics museum, Mathematikum - characterizes the wealth of experiences that numbers have to offer. In addition, he considers the many things that can be described by numbers and discusses which numbers possess special fascinations and pose lasting mysteries. Starting with natural numbers, the book examines representations of numbers, rational and irrational numbers, transcendental numbers, and imaginary and complex numbers. Readers will explore the history of numbers from Pythagoras to Fermat and discover such practical applications as cryptography and barcodes. A thoughtful and enlightening introduction to the past, present, and future of numbers, this volume will captivate mathematicians and nonmathematicians alike.
9780486803487
Mathematics
Arithmetic
Natural Numbers
Representation
Rational
Irrational
Transcendental Numbers
Imaginary numbers
Complex numbers
513.5 / BEU
Numbers: histories, mysteries, theories - Mineola: Dover Publications, 2015. - viii, 104 p.: ill.; pb; 23 cm. - Aurora: Dover modern math originals .
Includes bibliographical references and index.
HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS. Posing the question "What exactly is a number?" a distinguished German mathematician presents this intriguing and accessible survey. Albrecht Beutelspracher - founder of the renowned interactive mathematics museum, Mathematikum - characterizes the wealth of experiences that numbers have to offer. In addition, he considers the many things that can be described by numbers and discusses which numbers possess special fascinations and pose lasting mysteries. Starting with natural numbers, the book examines representations of numbers, rational and irrational numbers, transcendental numbers, and imaginary and complex numbers. Readers will explore the history of numbers from Pythagoras to Fermat and discover such practical applications as cryptography and barcodes. A thoughtful and enlightening introduction to the past, present, and future of numbers, this volume will captivate mathematicians and nonmathematicians alike.
9780486803487
Mathematics
Arithmetic
Natural Numbers
Representation
Rational
Irrational
Transcendental Numbers
Imaginary numbers
Complex numbers
513.5 / BEU
