University Presses - Pythagoras Revenge a Mathematical Mystery (05-2009) ATTiCA

The celebrated mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras left no writings. But what if he had and the manuscript was never found? Where would it be located? And what information would it reveal? These questions are the inspiration for the mathematical mystery novel __Pythagoras' Revenge__. Suspenseful and instructive, __Pythagoras' Revenge__ weaves fact, fiction, mathematics, computer science, and ancient history into a surprising and sophisticated thriller. The intrigue begins when Jule Davidson, a young American mathematician who trolls the internet for difficult math riddles and stumbles upon a neo-Pythagorean sect searching for the promised reincarnation of Pythagoras. Across the ocean, Elmer Galway, a professor of classical history at Oxford, discovers an Arabic manuscript hinting at the existence of an ancient scroll--possibly left by Pythagoras himself. Unknown to one another, Jule and Elmer each have information that the other requires and, as they race to solve the philosophical and mathematical puzzles set before them, their paths ultimately collide. Set in 1998 with flashbacks to classical Greece, __Pythagoras' Revenge__ investigates the confrontation between opposing views of mathematics and reality, and explores ideas from both early and cutting-edge mathematics. From academic Oxford to suburban Chicago and historic Rome, __Pythagoras' Revenge__ is a sophisticated thriller that will grip readers from beginning to surprising end. Pythagoras Revenge a Mathematical Mystery 1 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 10 List Of Main Characters 12 Prologue 14 Part I: A Time Capsule? 20 Chapter 1 22 Chapter 2 29 Chapter 3 38 Chapter 4 44 Chapter 5 51 Chapter 6 57 Chapter 7 65 Part II: An Extraordinarily Gifted Man 70 Chapter 8 72 Chapter 9 82 Chapter 10 88 Chapter 11 95 Chapter 12 101 Part III: A Sect of Neo-Pythagoreans 102 Chapter 13 104 Chapter 14 106 Chapter 15 117 Chapter 16 125 Chapter 17 134 Chapter 18 141 Chapter 19 145 Part IV: Pythagoras’ Mission 156 Chapter 20 158 Chapter 21 171 Chapter 22 177 Appendix 1: Jule’s Solution 190 Appendix 2: Infinitely Many Primes 192 Appendix 3: Random Sequences 194 Appendix 4: A Simple Visual Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem 196 Appendix 5: Perfect and Figured Numbers 197 Notes, Credits, And Bibliographical Sources 200 The Celebrated Mathematician And Philosopher Pythagoras Left No Writings. But What If He Had And The Manuscript Had Never Been Found? Where Would It Be Located? Two Mathematicians, One American, One British, Set Out, Unbeknownst To Each Other, To Find The Missing Manuscript.