Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula: Cures Many Mathematical Ills (Princeton Science Library Book 83)

I used to think math was no fun'Cause I couldn't see how it was doneNow Euler's my heroFor I now see why zeroEquals e[pi] i+1 --Paul Nahin, electrical engineer In the mid-eighteenth century, Swiss-born mathematician Leonhard Euler developed a formula so innovative and complex that it continues to inspire research, discussion, and even the occasional limerick. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula shares the fascinating story of this groundbreaking formula--long regarded as the gold standard for mathematical beauty--and shows why it still lies at the heart of complex number theory. This book is the sequel to Paul Nahin's An Imaginary Tale: The Story of I [the square root of -1], which chronicled the events leading up to the discovery of one of mathematics' most elusive numbers, the square root of minus one. Unlike the earlier book, which devoted a significant amount of space to the historical development of complex numbers, Dr. Euler begins with discussions of many sophisticated applications of complex numbers in pure and applied mathematics, and to electronic technology. The topics covered span a huge range, from a never-before-told tale of an encounter between the famous mathematician G. H. Hardy and the physicist Arthur Schuster, to a discussion of the theoretical basis for single-sideband AM radio, to the design of chase-and-escape problems. The book is accessible to any reader with the equivalent of the first two years of college mathematics (calculus and differential equations), and it promises to inspire new applications for years to come. Or as Nahin writes in the book's preface: To mathematicians ten thousand years hence, "Euler's formula will still be beautiful and stunning and untarnished by time."Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions

I used to think math was no fun

'Cause I couldn't see how it was done

Now Euler's my hero

For I now see why zero

Equals e[pi] i+1

--Paul Nahin, electrical engineer

In the mid-eighteenth century, Swiss-born mathematician Leonhard Euler developed a formula so innovative and complex that it continues to inspire research, discussion, and even the occasional limerick. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula shares the fascinating story of this groundbreaking formula--long regarded as the gold standard for mathematical beauty--and shows why it still lies at the heart of complex number theory.

This book is the sequel to Paul Nahin's An Imaginary Tale: The Story of I [the square root of -1], which chronicled the events leading up to the discovery of one of mathematics' most elusive numbers, the square root of minus one. Unlike the earlier book, which devoted a significant amount of space to the historical development of complex numbers, Dr. Euler begins with discussions of many sophisticated applications of complex numbers in pure and applied mathematics, and to electronic technology. The topics covered span a huge range, from a never-before-told tale of an encounter between the famous mathematician G. H. Hardy and the physicist Arthur Schuster, to a discussion of the theoretical basis for single-sideband AM radio, to the design of chase-and-escape problems.

The book is accessible to any reader with the equivalent of the first two years of college mathematics (calculus and differential equations), and it promises to inspire new applications for years to come. Or as Nahin writes in the book's preface: To mathematicians ten thousand years hence, Euler's formula will still be beautiful and stunning and untarnished by time.

I used to think math was no fun 'Cause I couldn't see how it was done Now Euler's my hero For I now see why zero Equals e[pi] i+1 --Paul Nahin, electrical engineer ? In the mid-eighteenth century, Swiss-born mathematician Leonhard Euler developed a formula so innovative and complex that it continues to inspire research, discussion, and even the occasional limerick. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula shares the fascinating story of this groundbreaking formula--long regarded as the gold standard for mathematical beauty--and shows why it still lies at the heart of complex number theory. This book is the sequel to Paul Nahin's An Imaginary The Story of I [the square root of -1] , which chronicled the events leading up to the discovery of one of mathematics' most elusive numbers, the square root of minus one. Unlike the earlier book, which devoted a significant amount of space to the historical development of complex numbers, Dr. Euler begins with discussions of many sophisticated applications of complex numbers in pure and applied mathematics, and to electronic technology. The topics covered span a huge range, from a never-before-told tale of an encounter between the famous mathematician G. H. Hardy and the physicist Arthur Schuster, to a discussion of the theoretical basis for single-sideband AM radio, to the design of chase-and-escape problems. The book is accessible to any reader with the equivalent of the first two years of college mathematics (calculus and differential equations), and it promises to inspire new applications for years to come. Or as Nahin writes in the book's To mathematicians ten thousand years hence, "Euler's formula will still be beautiful and stunning and untarnished by time." Cover; Contents; Preface to the Paperback Edition; What This Book Is About, What You Need to Know to Read It, and WHY You Should Read It; Preface: "When Did Math Become Sexy?"; Introduction; Chapter 1. Complex Numbers (an assortment of essays beyond the elementary involving complex numbers); Chapter 2. Vector Trips (some complex plane problems in which direction matters); Chapter 3. The Irrationality of p[sup(2)] ("higher" math at the sophomore level); Chapter 4. Fourier Series (named after Fourier but Euler was there first -- but he was, alas, partially WRONG!).;I used to think math was no fun'Cause I couldn't see how it was doneNow Euler's my heroFor I now see why zeroEquals e[pi] i+1--Paul Nahin, electrical engineer In the mid-eighteenth century, Swiss-born mathematician Leonhard Euler developed a formula so innovative and complex that it continues to inspire research, discussion, and even the occasional limerick. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula shares the fascinating story of this groundbreaking formula--long regarded as the gold standard for mathematical beauty--and shows why it still lies at the heart of complex number theory. This book is the seque. In the mid-eighteenth century, Swiss-born mathematician Leonhard Euler developed a formula so innovative and complex that it continues to inspire research, discussion, and even the occasional limerick. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula shares the fascinating story of this groundbreaking formula—long regarded as the gold standard for mathematical beauty—and shows why it still lies at the heart of complex number theory. In some ways a sequel to Nahin's An Imaginary Tale , this book examines the many applications of complex numbers alongside intriguing stories from the history of mathematics. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula is accessible to any reader familiar with calculus and differential equations, and promises to inspire mathematicians for years to come. Presents The Story Of The Formula - Zero Equals E[pi] I+1 Long Regarded As The Gold Standard For Mathematical Beauty. This Book Shows Why It Still Lies At The Heart Of Complex Number Theory. It Discusses Many Sophisticated Applications Of Complex Numbers In Pure And Applied Mathematics, And To Electronic Technology. Complex Numbers -- Vector Trips -- The Irrationality Of [pi] Squared -- Fourier Series -- Fourier Integrals -- Electronics And The Square Root Of -1 -- Euler : The Man And The Mathematical Physicist. Paul J. Nahin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 347-374) And Index. Shares the story of formula - long regarded as the gold standard for mathematical beauty - and shows why it still lies at the heart of complex number theory.