Table of Contents

Why Equations? 1. The squaw on the hippopotamus 2. Shortening the proceedings 3. Ghosts of departed quantities 4. The system of the world 5. Portent of the ideal world 6. Much ado about knotting 7. Patterns of chance 8. Good vibrations 9. Ripples and blips 10. The ascent of humanity 11. Waves in the ether 12. Law and disorder 13. One thing is absolute 14. Quantum weirdness 15. Codes, communications, and computers 16. The imbalance of nature 17. The Midas formula Where Next?

About the Author

Ian Stewart is emeritus professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick. His recent books include Calculating the Cosmos, Significant Figures, In Pursuit of the Unknown, and Professor Stewart's Hoard of Mathematical Treasures. He is a fellow of the Royal Society. He lives in Coventry, UK.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly "Stewart shares his enthusiasm as well as his knowledge in this tour of ground-breaking equations and the research they supported... An entertaining and illuminating collection of curious facts and histories suitable for random dipping-in or reading straight through." Kirkus Reviews "Stewart provides clear, cogent explanations of how the equations work without burdening the reader with cumbersome derivations... He gives a fascinating explanation of how Newton's laws, when extended to three-body problems, are still used by NASA to calculate the best route from Earth to Mars and have laid the basis for chaos theory. Throughout, Stewart's style is felicitous." Discover "Seemingly basic equations have enabled us to predict eclipses, engineer earthquake-proof buildings, and invent the refrigerator. In this lively volume, mathematician Ian Stewart delves into 17 equations that shape our daily existence, including those dreamed up by the likes of Einstein, Newton, and Erwin Schrodinger." Maclean's "Stewart is the finest living math popularizer-a writer who can tackle eye-spraining mathematical topics approachably, and yet dazzle hard-core nerds with new and surprising information. It is hard not to get your money's worth from him, and in a book like this he is at his best because of the very wide ground covered." Library Journal "Stewart's expertise and his well-developed style (enhanced by a nice sense of humor) make for enjoyable reading... [A] worthwhile and entertaining book, accessible to all readers. Recommended for anyone interested in the influence of mathematics on the development of science and on the emergence of our current technology-driven society." Washington Independent Review of Books "Stewart has managed to produce a remarkably readable, informative and entertaining volume on a subject about which few are as well informed as they would like to be." New York Journal of Books "Stewart is a genius in the way he conveys his excitement and sense of wonder... He has that valuable grasp of not only what it takes to make equations interesting, but also to make science cool."