The Man Who Loved Only Numbers

Author: Paul Hoffman

Publisher: Hyperion

ISBN: N.A

Category: Biography & Autobiography

Page: 360

View: 4737


Paul Erdos, the most prolific and eccentric mathematician of our time, forsook all creature comforts - including a hometo pursue his lifelong study of numbers. He was a man who possessed unimaginable powers of thought yet was unable to manage some of the simplest daily tasks. For more than six decades, Erdos lived out of two tattered suitcases, crisscrossing four continents at a frenzied pace, chasing mathematical problems and fresh talent. Erdos saw mathematics as a search for lasting beauty and ultimate truth. It was a search Erdos never abandoned, even as his life was torn asunder by some of the major political dramas of our time.

Wonders of Numbers

Author: Clifford A. Pickover

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 9780195348002

Category: Mathematics

Page: 420

View: 1994


Who were the five strangest mathematicians in history? What are the ten most interesting numbers? Jam-packed with thought-provoking mathematical mysteries, puzzles, and games, Wonders of Numbers will enchant even the most left-brained of readers. Hosted by the quirky Dr. Googol--who resides on a remote island and occasionally collaborates with Clifford Pickover--Wonders of Numbers focuses on creativity and the delight of discovery. Here is a potpourri of common and unusual number theory problems of varying difficulty--each presented in brief chapters that convey to readers the essence of the problem rather than its extraneous history. Peppered throughout with illustrations that clarify the problems, Wonders of Numbers also includes fascinating "math gossip." How would we use numbers to communicate with aliens? Check out Chapter 30. Did you know that there is a Numerical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? You'll find it in Chapter 45. From the beautiful formula of India's most famous mathematician to the Leviathan number so big it makes a trillion look small, Dr. Googol's witty and straightforward approach to numbers will entice students, educators, and scientists alike to pick up a pencil and work a problem.

Masters of Mathematics

Author: Robert A. Nowlan

Publisher: Springer

ISBN: 9463008934

Category: Education

Page: 24

View: 9256


The original title for this work was “Mathematical Literacy, What Is It and Why You Need it”. The current title reflects that there can be no real learning in any subject, unless questions of who, what, when, where, why and how are raised in the minds of the learners. The book is not a mathematical text, and there are no assigned exercises or exams. It is written for reasonably intelligent and curious individuals, both those who value mathematics, aware of its many important applications and others who have been inappropriately exposed to mathematics, leading to indifference to the subject, fear and even loathing. These feelings are all consequences of meaningless presentations, drill, rote learning and being lost as the purpose of what is being studied. Mathematics education needs a radical reform. There is more than one way to accomplish this. Here the author presents his approach of wrapping mathematical ideas in a story. To learn one first must develop an interest in a problem and the curiosity to find how masters of mathematics have solved them. What is necessary to be mathematically literate? It’s not about solving algebraic equations or even making a geometric proof. These are valuable skills but not evidence of literacy. We often seek answers but learning to ask pertinent questions is the road to mathematical literacy. Here is the good news: new mathematical ideas have a way of finding applications. This is known as “the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics.”

WISC-IV Clinical Use and Interpretation

Author: Aurelio Prifitera,Donald H. Saklofske,Lawrence G. Weiss

Publisher: Academic Press

ISBN: 0125649312

Category: Computers

Page: 506

View: 5603


Publisher Description

Professor Stewart's Hoard of Mathematical Treasures

Author: Ian Stewart

Publisher: Profile Books

ISBN: 184765262X

Category: Mathematics

Page: 339

View: 9381


Ian Stewart, author of the bestselling Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities, presents a new and magical mix of games, puzzles, paradoxes, brainteasers, and riddles. He mingles these with forays into ancient and modern mathematical thought, appallingly hilarious mathematical jokes, and enquiries into the great mathematical challenges of the present and past. Amongst a host of arcane and astonishing facts about every kind of number from irrational or imaginary to complex or cuneiform, we find out: how to organise chaos; how matter balances anti-matter; how to turn a sphere inside out (without creasing it...); why you can't comb a hairy ball; how to calculate pi by observing the stars. And we get some tantalising glimpses of the maths of life and the universe.Mind-stretching, enlightening and endlessly amusing, Professor Stewart's new entertainment will stimulate, delight, and enthral.

Perl For Dummies

Author: Paul Hoffman

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

ISBN: 9781118085189

Category: Computers

Page: 408

View: 2383


In the days before personal computers, BASIC was the easyprogramming language to learn, and serious programmers learnedFORTRAN or COBOL to do “real work.” Today, many peoplehave discovered that Perl is both a great beginning programminglanguage and one that enables them to write powerful programswith little effort. If you’re interested in discovering how to program (or howothers program), Perl For Dummies, 4th Edition, is for you.If you already know something about programming (but not aboutPerl), this book is also for you. If you’re already an expertprogrammer, you’re still welcome to read this book; you canjust skip the basic stuff (you never know what kind of new tips andtricks you’ll pick up). This reference guide shows you how to use Perl under manydifferent operating systems, such as UNIX, many flavors of Windows(Windows 95/98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows Me, and WindowsXP), and Macintosh OS 9 and OS X; in fact, Perl runs on many moreoperating systems than these. Here's a sampling of what Perl For Dummies, 4th Edition,has to offer: Installing Perl on various platforms Nailing down the basics of building Perl programs Working with text and numbers Constructing lists and working with them Creating conditionals and loops Delving into more advanced features such as operators andfunctions Reading and writing files and directories Using subroutines for modularity Demystifying Web server programs Creating your own Internet clients The Perl programming language enables you to write fully workingcomputer programs with just a few steps. It’s particularlygood at common programming tasks, such as reading and writing textfiles, but it also excels at reducing the work that programmershave to do. Perl For Dummies, 4th Edition, shows you how todo all of that and how to modify programs to your heart’scontent. After all, one of the common phrases in the world of Perlprogrammers is, “There's more than one way to doit.”

Territories and Trajectories

Author: Diana Sorensen

Publisher: Duke University Press

ISBN: 0822371561

Category: Literary Criticism

Page: 312

View: 9409


The contributors to Territories and Trajectories propose a model of cultural production and transmission based on the global diffusion, circulation, and exchange of people, things, and ideas across time and space. This model eschews a static, geographically bounded notion of cultural origins and authenticity, privileging instead a mobility of culture that shapes and is shaped by geographic spaces. Reading a diverse array of texts and objects, from Ethiopian song and ancient Chinese travel writing to Japanese literature and aerial and nautical images of the Indian Ocean, the contributors decenter national borders to examine global flows of culture and the relationship between thinking at transnational and local scales. Throughout, they make a case for methods of inquiry that encourage innovative understandings of borders, oceans, and territories and that transgress disciplinary divides. Contributors. Homi Bhabha, Jacqueline Bhabha, Lindsay Bremner, Finbarr Barry Flood, Rosario Hubert, Alina Payne, Kay Kaufman Shelemay, Shu-mei Shih, Diana Sorensen, Karen Thornber, Xiaofei Tian

Science and the Written Word

Author: Lou Massa

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 0199831777

Category: Science

Page: 192

View: 7995


In order to meet the growing scientific requirements of an increasingly complex society, it is essential for us to have an appreciation of the power and breadth of science. Science and the Written Word is a collection of interviews featuring some of the world's greatest scientists and Nobel Prize winners. The interviews examine topics related to the nature of science and technology, making them more accessible to the general reader, and emphasize the relationship of various scientific disciplines to one another. Through this book, readers learn from the "inside" how science is done, what motivates it, and why it is of importance to society as a whole. The book offers insights into scientific personalities and dispels common misconceptions regarding the popular image of scientists. The interviews in this book examine standards of behavior and ethics and demonstrate the relationships between science and social values. They delve into topics such as the utility of science in application to war, the importance of science in the educational curriculum, cost benefits of fundamental research in consideration of the national budget, and the public controversy of evolution versus intelligent design. Cumulatively, the discussions in this book give rise to an awareness of both the reality of science and technology and its profound impact upon the well being of society.

Adolescent Literature as a Complement to the Content Areas

Author: Paula Greathouse,Joan F. Kaywell,Brooke Eisenbach

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

ISBN: 1475831692

Category: Education

Page: 202

View: 5659


This text offers 6th - 12th grade educators guided instructional approaches for including young adult (YA) literature in science and math classes in order to promote literacy development while learning content.