The calculus of friendship : what a teacher and a student learned about life while corresponding about math

__The Calculus of Friendship__ is the story of an extraordinary connection between a teacher and a student, as chronicled through more than thirty years of letters between them. What makes their relationship unique is that it is based almost entirely on a shared love of calculus. For them, calculus is more than a branch of mathematics; it is a game they love playing together, a constant when all else is in flux. The teacher goes from the prime of his career to retirement, competes in whitewater kayaking at the international level, and loses a son. The student matures from high school math whiz to Ivy League professor, suffers the sudden death of a parent, and blunders into a marriage destined to fail. Yet through it all they take refuge in the haven of calculus--until a day comes when calculus is no longer enough. Like calculus itself, __The Calculus of Friendship__ is an exploration of change. It's about the transformation that takes place in a student's heart, as he and his teacher reverse roles, as they age, as they are buffeted by life itself. Written by a renowned teacher and communicator of mathematics, __The Calculus of Friendship__ is warm, intimate, and deeply moving. The most inspiring ideas of calculus, differential equations, and chaos theory are explained through metaphors, images, and anecdotes in a way that all readers will find beautiful, and even poignant. Math enthusiasts, from high school students to professionals, will delight in the offbeat problems and lucid explanations in the letters. For anyone whose life has been changed by a mentor, __The Calculus of Friendship__ will be an unforgettable journey. The Calculus Of Friendship Is The Story Of An Extraordinary Connection Between A Teacher And A Student, As Chronicled Through More Than Thirty Years Of Letters Between Them. What Makes Their Relationship Unique Is That It Is Based Almost Entirely On A Shared Love Of Calculus. For Them, Calculus Is More Than A Branch Of Mathematics; It Is A Game They Love Playing Together, A Constant When All Else Is In Flux. The Teacher Goes From The Prime Of His Career To Retirement, Competes In Whitewater Kayaking At The International Level, And Loses A Son. The Student Matures From High School Math Whiz To. Continuity (1974-75) -- Pursuit (1976) -- Relativity (1977) -- Irrationality (1978-79) -- Shifts (1980-89) -- Proof On A Place Mat (march 1989) -- The Monk And The Mountain (1989-90) -- Randomness (1990-91) -- Infinity And Limits (1991) -- Chaos ( 1992-95) -- Celebration (1996-99) -- The Path Of Quickest Descent (2000-2003) -- Bifurcation (2004) -- Hero's Formula (2005-present). Steven Strogatz. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [157]-162) And Index. I stumbled across this book, and caught puzzled by the very unusual subject: the (true) story of an intimate friendship between a student and a teacher who kept a lifelong correspondence. Unusual in all this is that rarely is "Life" itself the subject of the letters: the interaction being in fact based on mathematical problems that both student and teacher shared a passion for. Mathematics appearing to the eyes of the most as a cold, emotionless subject, one may fear that the book itself comes out as a cold, emotionless collection of complicated formulas. The contrary is true. I found in the book gems of magnificent humanity. Going through the pages, reading those mathematical letters one finds, here and there, delicate (and sometimes touchingly shy) personal remarks which in fact showed how much the writers cared for each other. Mathematics, it becomes soon apparent, is just a bond connecting two soul mates, and "teacher" and "student", perhaps, may be even more appropriately interpreted as "father" and "son".