Alex's adventures in Numberlandl : [dispatches from the wonderful world of mathematics

Product Description In this richly entertaining and accessible book, Alex Bellos explodes the myth that maths is best left to the geeks. Covering subjects from adding to algebra, from set theory to statistics, and from logarithms to logical paradoxes, he explains how mathematical ideas underpin just about everything in our lives. Alex explains the surprising geometry of the 50p piece, and the strategy of how best to gamble it in a casino. He shines a light on the mathematical patterns in nature, and on the peculiar predictability of random behaviour. He eats a potato crisp whose revolutionary shape was unpalatable to the ancient Greeks, and he shows the deep connections between maths, religion and philosophy. Alex weaves a journey from primary school to university level maths, from ancient history to the computing frontline, and from St Louis, Missouri, to Braintree, Essex. He meets the world's fastest mental calculators in Germany, consults a numerologist in the US desert, meets a startlingly numerate chimpanzee in Japan, and seeks advice from a venerable Hindu sage in India. An unlikely but exhilarating cocktail of history, reportage and mathematical proofs, Alex's dispatches from 'Numberland' show the world of maths to be a much friendlier and more colourful place than you might have imagined. A Hugely Enjoyable, Brilliantly Researched Explanation Of The Basic Principles Of Maths. Machine Generated Contents Note: Ch. Zero Head For Numbers -- Ch. One Counter Culture -- Ch. Two Behold! -- Ch. Three Something About Nothing -- Ch. Four Life Of Pi -- Ch. Five X-factor -- Ch. Six Playtime -- Ch. Seven Secrets Of Succession -- Ch. Eight Gold Finger -- Ch. Nine Chance Is A Fine Thing -- Ch. Ten Situation Normal -- Ch. Eleven End Of The Line. Alex Bellos ; Illustrations By Andy Riley. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Numbers are everywhere - yet while many of us embrace them, others would rather they didn't exist. This title explodes the myth that mathematics is bone-dry and best left to geeks. It reveals the real world of numbers - in Germany witnessing the world's fastest mental multiplication, and in Nevada fixing the odds of slot machines. Explodes the myth that maths is best left to the geeks. Covering subjects from adding to algebra, from set theory to statistics, and from logarithms to logical paradoxes, this title explains how mathematical ideas underpin just about everything in our lives. It also explains the strategy of how best to gamble in a casino.