Like masterpieces of art, music, and literature, great mathematical theorems are creative milestones, works of genius destined to last forever. Now William Dunham gives them the attention they deserve. Dunham places each theorem within its historical context and explores the very human and often turbulent life of the creator -- from Archimedes, the absentminded theoretician whose absorption in his work often precluded eating or bathing, to Gerolamo Cardano, the sixteenth-century mathematician whose accomplishments ...
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Like masterpieces of art, music, and literature, great mathematical theorems are creative milestones, works of genius destined to last forever. Now William Dunham gives them the attention they deserve. Dunham places each theorem within its historical context and explores the very human and often turbulent life of the creator -- from Archimedes, the absentminded theoretician whose absorption in his work often precluded eating or bathing, to Gerolamo Cardano, the sixteenth-century mathematician whose accomplishments flourished despite a bizarre array of misadventures, to the paranoid genius of modern times, Georg Cantor. He also provides step-by-step proofs for the theorems, each easily accessible to readers with no more than a knowledge of high school mathematics. A rare combination of the historical, biographical, and mathematical, Journey Through Genius is a fascinating introduction to a neglected field of human creativity. "It is mathematics presented as a series of works of art; a fascinating lingering over individual examples of ingenuity and insight. It is mathematics by lightning flash." --Isaac Asimov
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Add this copy of Journey Through Genius: the Great Theorems of to cart. $0.99, fair condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1991 by Penguin Books.
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Add this copy of Journey Through Genius: the Great Theorems of to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by Zoom Books Company rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Lynden, WA, UNITED STATES, published 1991 by Penguin Books.
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Add this copy of Journey Through Genius: the Great Theorems of to cart. $1.52, good condition, Sold by Zoom Books Company rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Lynden, WA, UNITED STATES, published 1991 by Penguin Books.
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Add this copy of Journey Through Genius: the Great Theorems of to cart. $2.26, very good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 1991 by Penguin Books.
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Add this copy of Journey Through Genius: the Great Theorems of to cart. $2.26, good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 1991 by Penguin Books.
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Good. . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
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I've just finished the first chapter... a treasure! The exposition was perfect for recreational reading but with satisfying rigor in the presentation of the proofs. I look forward to reading the rest of the book. I may write more after I finish the book. But so far I can say it is a must read for anyone who wants to solidify their grounding in mathematics. I wish I had read this during high school!
MikeMcGarry
Apr 1, 2007
Brilliant Math for Everyone!
As Dunham points out, most of the great works of art are readily available to anyone. Anyone can listen to a Beethoven symphony or see the Mona Lisa. The truly beautiful theorems of mathematics, though, are considered arcana, and are little know by even the most intelligent folks in other fields. With this book, Dunham is attempting to "democratize" the great math theorems. He has chosen ten theorems which he considered (rightly) some of the most beautiful, most elegant, of all time. Assuming the reader has no more than an Algebra Two level of expertise with math, he leads the way step by step through each theorem, so the reader can have the thrill of enjoying the mathematical "aha!" at core of these theorems. He fleshes out each with some biographical data about the mathematiciam involved, and does a good job explaining each theorem's antecedents and consequences in the history of math. For any intelligent reader who doesn't mind a little algebraic thinking and who, after many year's hiatus, really wants to understand what is amazing about the discipline of mathematics, I do not think a better book than this exists. Furthermore, for folks in technical fields who are unfamiliar with the history of math, this is a wonderful playground to which you will return time and time again.
