- Imprint: Profile Books
- Published: 02/02/2012
- Price: £8.99
- Format: eBook
- Edition Illustration Details:
- ISBN: 9781847657695
- Subject: Other,Popular Science
- Edited By: John Davey
Seventeen Equations that Changed the World
Ian Stewart
A unique history of humanity told through its seventeen defining equations; from Pythagoras to Calculus.
From Newton's Law of Gravity to the Black-Scholes model used by bankers to predict the markets, equations, are everywhere - and they are fundamental to everyday life.Seventeen Equations that Changed the Worldexaminesseventeen groundbreaking equations that have altered the course of human history. He explores how Pythagoras's Theorem led to GPS and SatNav; how logarithms are applied in architecture; why imaginary numbers were important in the development of the digital camera, and what is really going on with Schrödinger's cat.Entertaining, surprising and vastly informative,Seventeen Equations that Changed the Worldis a highly original exploration - and explanation - of life on earth.
About the Author
Ian Stewart is a Mathematics Professor at Warwick University. His many books includeMathematics of Life[9781846681981],Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities[9781846683459], andThe Science of Discworldtrilogywith Terry Pratchett. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, appears frequently on radio and television, and does research on pattern formation and network dynamics.
Reviews
'His wondrous world of worked-out maths and joined-up thinking is radical and even romantic', The Times
'Interesting and authoritative', BBC Focus
