A brief guide to the great equations : the hunt for cosmic beauty in numbers

Here are the stories of the ten most popular equations of all time as voted for by readers of Physics World, including - accessibly described here for the first time - the favourite equation of all, Euler's equation. Each is an equation that captures with beautiful simplicity what can only be described clumsily in words. Euler's equation [eip + 1 = 0] was described by respondents as 'the most profound mathematic statement ever written', 'uncanny and sublime', 'filled with cosmic beauty' and 'mind-blowing'. Collectively these equations also amount to the world's most concise and reliable body of knowledge. Many scientists and those with a mathematical bent have a soft spot for equations. This book explains both why these ten equations are so beautiful and significant, and the human stories behind them. About the Author Robert Crease is a science writer and columnist for Physics World. His previous books include The Prism and Pendulum: The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments in Science. He has also written for The Atlantic, The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. General,Science 'Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.' Douglas Adams, Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy We human beings have trouble with infinity - yet infinity is a surprisingly human subject. Philosophers and mathematicians have gone mad contemplating its nature and complexity - yet it is a concept routinely used by schoolchildren. Exploring the infinite is a journey into paradox. Here is a quantity that turns arithmetic on its head, making it feasible that 1 = 0. Here is a concept that enables us to cram as many extra guests as we like into an already full hotel. Most bizarrely of all, it is quite easy to show that there must be something bigger than infinity - when it surely should be the biggest thing that could possibly be. Brian Clegg takes us on a fascinating tour of that borderland between the extremely large and the ultimate that takes us from Archimedes, counting the grains of sand that would fill the universe, to the latest theories on the physical reality of the infinite. Full of unexpected delights, whether St Augustine contemplating the nature of creation, Newton and Leibniz battling over ownership of calculus, or Cantor struggling to publicise his vision of the transfinite, infinity's fascination is in the way it brings together the everyday and the extraordinary, prosaic daily life and the esoteric. Whether your interest in infinity is mathematical, philosophical, spiritual or just plain curious, this accessible book offers a stimulating and entertaining read. Infinity Is A Concept That Fascinates Everyone From A Seven-year-old Child To A Maths Professor. So Remarkable And Strange Is It That Contemplating It Has Driven At Least Two Great Mathematicians Over The Edge Into Insanity. Where Did The Concept Of Infinity Come From? Who Were The People Who Originally Defined And Later Refined This Paradoxical Quantity? Why Is Infinity, A Concept We Can Never Experience Or Truly Grasp, At The Heart Of Science? How Can Some Infinities Be Bigger Than Others? An Exploration Of The Most Mind-boggling Feature Of Maths And Physics, This Work Examines Amazing Paradoxes, For Example Hilbert's Hotel. This Imaginary Resort Has An Infinite Number Of Rooms, Which All Happen To Be Occupied. Unfortunately An Endless Coach Turns Up Carrying An Infinite Number Of New Guests. It's Not A Problem Though - It's Easy To Prove They Can All Be Accommodated. The Book Also Looks At: The People Who Devised And Refined The Concept, The Many Mind-bending Paradoxes Of Infinity, Infinity's Place At The Heart Of Mathematics And Science In Processes Such As Calculus, How Dividing By Zero Brings Infinity Into View And Infinity And Cosmos. Brian Clegg. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [245]-249) And Index. IMPACT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY. A riveting exploration into the ideas that shook the world and an in-depth analysis of the men and women who exposed them. Each entry will be up-to-date, comprehensive and entertaining, covering every aspect of scientific discovery from the ancient world to todays most modern laboratories. Who are the most important men and women whose notions and theories have changed the world? This comprehensive and entertaining guide celebrates 100 of the most influential scientists - men and women whose lives and work have altered how we look at the world, the universe and ourselves. Their history is the history of science, a story of great discoveries, flashes of intuition, hard work and ardous calculation and experiment in the laboratory The Ideas that made the Modern World is part of the Britannica Guide Series that offers a look into the people, philosophy, and history of the enlightenment. The Britannica Guides series offers an essential introduction to many of the key issues of our time. Clear, accurate, and meticulously researched, the series gives both background and analysis for when you need to know for sure what is really happening in the world, whether you are an expert, student, or traveler. The 100 Most Influential Scientists is part of the Britannica Guide Series that offers a look into 100 scientists from Ancient Greece to the present day. The Britannica Guides series offers an essential introduction to many of the key issues of our time. Clear, accurate, and meticulously researched, the series gives both background and analysis for when you need to know for sure what is really happening in the world, whether you are an expert, student, or traveler. A riveting exploration into the ideas that shook the world and an in-depth analysis of the men and women who exposed them. Each entry will be up to date, comprehensive and entertaining, covering every aspect of scientific discovery from the ancient world to today's most modern laboratories. A vital primer on the philosophers, scientists and theorists of the Enlightenment from the most highly regarded resource: Britannica. Introduction by A C Grayling