Read any good MATHS books lately? Not really sure where to put this...
I was just wonderin if anyone had any particular recommendations, perhaps to start building a definitive reading list up.
Heres a few that I've read to start:
Fermats Last Theorum (Simon Singh) As in the name, more biographical than mathematical
Flatterland (Ian Stewart) Fantastic take on a 19th century book about different geometries, starts by explaining 4d by exploring the way our 3d world would look to a 2d or 1d person!
Chaos (James Gleick) Quite Physicsy, but a good read, yet again quite biographical, some have said that it gets hard work to read quite soon after opening!
Goedel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) is a good one, and has some very interesting parts about logic and some clever dialogues, but also a lot of rambling in the second half.
Music of the Primes(Marcus du Sautoy) was good, didn't have all that much mathematical content but it was fun to read.
What is Mathematics? (Courant and Robbins) reads a little bit textbook-ish-ly* (gah, who would think I spoke English? ), but definitely the best maths book I've ever read.
*Roughly translates as "like a textbook"
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure (Hans Magnus Enzensberger)
Art of the Infinite (Kaplan) More mainstream, targeted at expanding mathematical awareness. Certainly a good read for those who have perhaps gained Mathmophobia!
Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture Light hearted look at the life of a mathematician. Reads like a novel, yet with the odd bit of mathematical content.
My Brain is Open: The Mathematical Journeys of Paul Erdos (Bruce Schecter) Yet another biographical book, but well worth the read! Not that much maths in it, but looks interesting
The Code Book (Simon Singh) Interesting exploration into the different types of codes and CYPHERS used throughout history. Is a very good GENERAL MATHS BOOK, covering elements of basic number theory, physics (potential of photon money!), statistics (frequency Analysis) and computing. I found it interesting but view it more as an encyclopedia for reference rather than a comprehensive account.
The Man who knew Infinity (Robert Kanigel) Book about Ramanujan, yet again more biographical, but still worth a look.
Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable (Brian Clegg) Am currently reading this. This is definitely one of the better books on the subject. A chronological biography of the concept of infinity, from Greeks to present day.
Feel free to add further books to this list, how about the From Here to Infinity (Ian Stewart), or The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth (Paul Hoffman) an alternative to The Man who knew infinity?
Heres a few that I've read to start:
Fermats Last Theorum (Simon Singh) As in the name, more biographical than mathematical
Flatterland (Ian Stewart) Fantastic take on a 19th century book about different geometries, starts by explaining 4d by exploring the way our 3d world would look to a 2d or 1d person!
Chaos (James Gleick) Quite Physicsy, but a good read, yet again quite biographical, some have said that it gets hard work to read quite soon after opening!
Goedel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) is a good one, and has some very interesting parts about logic and some clever dialogues, but also a lot of rambling in the second half.
Music of the Primes(Marcus du Sautoy) was good, didn't have all that much mathematical content but it was fun to read.
What is Mathematics? (Courant and Robbins) reads a little bit textbook-ish-ly* (gah, who would think I spoke English? ), but definitely the best maths book I've ever read.
*Roughly translates as "like a textbook"
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure (Hans Magnus Enzensberger)
Art of the Infinite (Kaplan) More mainstream, targeted at expanding mathematical awareness. Certainly a good read for those who have perhaps gained Mathmophobia!
Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture Light hearted look at the life of a mathematician. Reads like a novel, yet with the odd bit of mathematical content.
My Brain is Open: The Mathematical Journeys of Paul Erdos (Bruce Schecter) Yet another biographical book, but well worth the read! Not that much maths in it, but looks interesting
The Code Book (Simon Singh) Interesting exploration into the different types of codes and CYPHERS used throughout history. Is a very good GENERAL MATHS BOOK, covering elements of basic number theory, physics (potential of photon money!), statistics (frequency Analysis) and computing. I found it interesting but view it more as an encyclopedia for reference rather than a comprehensive account.
The Man who knew Infinity (Robert Kanigel) Book about Ramanujan, yet again more biographical, but still worth a look.
Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable (Brian Clegg) Am currently reading this. This is definitely one of the better books on the subject. A chronological biography of the concept of infinity, from Greeks to present day.
Feel free to add further books to this list, how about the From Here to Infinity (Ian Stewart), or The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth (Paul Hoffman) an alternative to The Man who knew infinity?
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Music of the Primes (Marcus du Sautoy) was good, didn't have all that much mathematical content but it was fun to read.
I got about 40 pages into Chaos, but I found it really boring and stopped :/
Goedel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) is a good one, and has some very interesting parts about logic and some clever dialogues, but also a lot of rambling in the second half.
I got about 40 pages into Chaos, but I found it really boring and stopped :/
Goedel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) is a good one, and has some very interesting parts about logic and some clever dialogues, but also a lot of rambling in the second half.
Thankyou for your response. I agree chaos can be hard work, I began to read it about 5 times before I got into it. However, the chaos pendulum in our maths room has caused much amusement over the past year (it is obligatory for whoever walks past it at any point in time to spin it, then the rest of the class lay bets on the point at which it will not continue to rotate!) so I had a reason to subject myself to it
"What is Mathematics?" by Courant and Robbins. Reads a little bit textbook-ish-ly (gah, who would think I spoke English? 
), but definitely the best maths book I've ever read.
I also found Chaos really boring.
), but definitely the best maths book I've ever read.I also found Chaos really boring.
Equally grate thanks for your input. It seems like the knives are really out for Gleick (Note how cambridge state 9 out of 10 interviewees voted this as the best maths book they'd ever read!)
I found it bearable. Do you not find the parts such as the intro with a man working on a 26 hour day cycle intrigueing? Its like number systems that operate in different bases simultaneously! I dunno, but I thoughr it had some merit!
I found it bearable. Do you not find the parts such as the intro with a man working on a 26 hour day cycle intrigueing? Its like number systems that operate in different bases simultaneously! I dunno, but I thoughr it had some merit!
Hey, out of interest, Generalebriety, what level are you at? Have you done ure a levels, in the process, or well past and years into your degree?
MrMathsGenius
Hey, out of interest, Generalebriety, what level are you at? Have you done ure a levels, in the process, or well past and years into your degree?
What Speleo said.
Doing A-levels this year, hopefully going to uni to study maths next year.
The Number Devil
I read it ages ago, but I remember I enjoyed every page of it!
I read it ages ago, but I remember I enjoyed every page of it!
Appologies Speleo for my incompetence in paraphrasing (that's why im a mathematician, not a writer...) and my inability of going to the Cambridge Website to copy the exact quote! As for my other inadequacy of being unaware of Generalebriety's hidden box, I think it is possible to attribute it to me being a relatively new member! (Plus you didn't leave your recomendations... )
)Cheers Celeritas (I'd never heard of The Number Devil before but from the reviews on the link you provided, it appears that it might actually be a good read! It seems a similar take as that of Flatterland (I don't know whether you've read it) which explores Geometrical concepts in a similar manner!
Rabite, regardless of your inferiority complex, we would appreciate your input on the thread title? Any maths related book that you enjoyed or hated will do!
Oh right - sorry.
Last maths book I read was Art of the Infinite (by Kaplan...well, Kaplans - two of them wrote it). It's technical-ish, but it's simplistic. I think it's aimed at a more general public. One of its objectives seemed to be to get people to appreciate mathematics in the sense that it's more than adding up grocery bills.
I think it's would be a good read for someone who hasn't done mathematics past compulsory education though, and it would probably be a good way of getting rid of mathematics-phobia that tends to develop in people immediate after dropping it at GCSE.
Hmm. Before that was "Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture", which was a light read - quite enjoyable. It's entirely fictional (though it does mention real people quite a bit), and virtually completely non-technical - so I suppose it was a tad disappointing in that way.
It's basically the story of someone who tries yet fails. And goes a little bit insane.
I wouldn't really recommend either of those to anyone here, really, but hey.
Last maths book I read was Art of the Infinite (by Kaplan...well, Kaplans - two of them wrote it). It's technical-ish, but it's simplistic. I think it's aimed at a more general public. One of its objectives seemed to be to get people to appreciate mathematics in the sense that it's more than adding up grocery bills.
I think it's would be a good read for someone who hasn't done mathematics past compulsory education though, and it would probably be a good way of getting rid of mathematics-phobia that tends to develop in people immediate after dropping it at GCSE.
Hmm. Before that was "Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture", which was a light read - quite enjoyable. It's entirely fictional (though it does mention real people quite a bit), and virtually completely non-technical - so I suppose it was a tad disappointing in that way.
It's basically the story of someone who tries yet fails. And goes a little bit insane.
I wouldn't really recommend either of those to anyone here, really, but hey.
Speleo
Music of the Primes (Marcus du Sautoy) was good, didn't have all that much mathematical content but it was fun to read.
I got about 40 pages into Chaos, but I found it really boring and stopped :/
Goedel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) is a good one, and has some very interesting parts about logic and some clever dialogues, but also a lot of rambling in the second half.
I got about 40 pages into Chaos, but I found it really boring and stopped :/
Goedel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) is a good one, and has some very interesting parts about logic and some clever dialogues, but also a lot of rambling in the second half.
Hmmm. I found Chaos an interesting read
The man who knew infinity is a nice book about Ramanujan, not much maths in it.
The code book by simon singh is a book id recommend.
The art of the infinite is also a good book. More mathematical than the others.
Ill try to remember some others later
-
El Matematico
Hmmm. I found Chaos an interesting read
The man who knew infinity is a nice book about Ramanujan, not much maths in it.
The code book by simon singh is a book id recommend.
The art of the infinite is also a good book. More mathematical than the others.
Ill try to remember some others later
-
The man who knew infinity is a nice book about Ramanujan, not much maths in it.
The code book by simon singh is a book id recommend.
The art of the infinite is also a good book. More mathematical than the others.
Ill try to remember some others later
-
One of my favourite book is "My Brain is Open: The Mathematical Journeys of Paul Erdos" written by Bruce Schecter, which I have read 4 times and I still amazed by the eccentricity of Paul Erdos.
It is a very light reading book and there isn't much Maths in it.
Yeah I've read the book Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable (Brian Clegg). The thing is, by the time you finish the book, you realise you haven't actually discovered that much about infinity since it's only recalling how some people struggled a lot with infinity. It does show you the continuum hypothesis and something about someone's horn (a special shape with an infinite surface area but finite volume). It's awesome though since you learn so much about so many famous mathematicians and you learn a lot about where stuff comes from including the multiplication sign.
Original post by MrMathsGenius
I was just wonderin if anyone had any particular recommendations, perhaps to start building a definitive reading list up.
Heres a few that I've read to start:
Fermats Last Theorum (Simon Singh) As in the name, more biographical than mathematical
Flatterland (Ian Stewart) Fantastic take on a 19th century book about different geometries, starts by explaining 4d by exploring the way our 3d world would look to a 2d or 1d person!
Chaos (James Gleick) Quite Physicsy, but a good read, yet again quite biographical, some have said that it gets hard work to read quite soon after opening!
Goedel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) is a good one, and has some very interesting parts about logic and some clever dialogues, but also a lot of rambling in the second half.
Music of the Primes(Marcus du Sautoy) was good, didn't have all that much mathematical content but it was fun to read.
What is Mathematics? (Courant and Robbins) reads a little bit textbook-ish-ly* (gah, who would think I spoke English? ), but definitely the best maths book I've ever read.
*Roughly translates as "like a textbook"
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure (Hans Magnus Enzensberger)
Art of the Infinite (Kaplan) More mainstream, targeted at expanding mathematical awareness. Certainly a good read for those who have perhaps gained Mathmophobia!
Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture Light hearted look at the life of a mathematician. Reads like a novel, yet with the odd bit of mathematical content.
My Brain is Open: The Mathematical Journeys of Paul Erdos (Bruce Schecter) Yet another biographical book, but well worth the read! Not that much maths in it, but looks interesting
The Code Book (Simon Singh) Interesting exploration into the different types of codes and CYPHERS used throughout history. Is a very good GENERAL MATHS BOOK, covering elements of basic number theory, physics (potential of photon money!), statistics (frequency Analysis) and computing. I found it interesting but view it more as an encyclopedia for reference rather than a comprehensive account.
The Man who knew Infinity (Robert Kanigel) Book about Ramanujan, yet again more biographical, but still worth a look.
Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable (Brian Clegg) Am currently reading this. This is definitely one of the better books on the subject. A chronological biography of the concept of infinity, from Greeks to present day.
Feel free to add further books to this list, how about the From Here to Infinity (Ian Stewart), or The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth (Paul Hoffman) an alternative to The Man who knew infinity?
Heres a few that I've read to start:
Fermats Last Theorum (Simon Singh) As in the name, more biographical than mathematical
Flatterland (Ian Stewart) Fantastic take on a 19th century book about different geometries, starts by explaining 4d by exploring the way our 3d world would look to a 2d or 1d person!
Chaos (James Gleick) Quite Physicsy, but a good read, yet again quite biographical, some have said that it gets hard work to read quite soon after opening!
Goedel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hofstadter) is a good one, and has some very interesting parts about logic and some clever dialogues, but also a lot of rambling in the second half.
Music of the Primes(Marcus du Sautoy) was good, didn't have all that much mathematical content but it was fun to read.
What is Mathematics? (Courant and Robbins) reads a little bit textbook-ish-ly* (gah, who would think I spoke English? ), but definitely the best maths book I've ever read.
*Roughly translates as "like a textbook"
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure (Hans Magnus Enzensberger)
Art of the Infinite (Kaplan) More mainstream, targeted at expanding mathematical awareness. Certainly a good read for those who have perhaps gained Mathmophobia!
Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture Light hearted look at the life of a mathematician. Reads like a novel, yet with the odd bit of mathematical content.
My Brain is Open: The Mathematical Journeys of Paul Erdos (Bruce Schecter) Yet another biographical book, but well worth the read! Not that much maths in it, but looks interesting
The Code Book (Simon Singh) Interesting exploration into the different types of codes and CYPHERS used throughout history. Is a very good GENERAL MATHS BOOK, covering elements of basic number theory, physics (potential of photon money!), statistics (frequency Analysis) and computing. I found it interesting but view it more as an encyclopedia for reference rather than a comprehensive account.
The Man who knew Infinity (Robert Kanigel) Book about Ramanujan, yet again more biographical, but still worth a look.
Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable (Brian Clegg) Am currently reading this. This is definitely one of the better books on the subject. A chronological biography of the concept of infinity, from Greeks to present day.
Feel free to add further books to this list, how about the From Here to Infinity (Ian Stewart), or The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth (Paul Hoffman) an alternative to The Man who knew infinity?
There is no rambling only some tangled thinking and educated guesses. A bit too long but still among my favourites. And I am not into maths at all.
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