The Universe and the Teacup

The Mathematics of Truth and Beauty

K. C. Cole

• Editore: Mariner Books
• Anno: 1998
• ISBN:
  9780547546148
• Argomento: Mathematics
• Categoria: History & Philosophy of Mathematics

From the acclaimed Los Angeles Times science writer, a wise, witty, and elegant study of how math provides practical solutions to everyday problems. Are the secrets of the universe written in words—or is it all about the digits? K.C. Cole follows up her paean to the power of physics, Sympathetic Vibrations, with this engaging and accessible guide to the might and majesty of mathematics. The Universe and the Teacup uses relatable examples, humorous prose, and whimsical line drawings to demonstrate math's ability to "translate the complexity of the world into manageable patterns." Cole shows how mathematical concepts illuminate everything from human risk-taking behavior to astronomical investigation, game theory to logic problems—not to mention the very structure of the universe itself. Brimming with trivia stressing the importance of math throughout history, this is a book both math nerds and the "innumerate" everyday person can enjoy in equal measure. "Cole writes clearly, simply and vividly, " noted The New York Times. "She so obviously likes mathematics, the reader can't help liking it too." Filled with "a thousand fascinating facts and shrewd observations (Martin Gardner, Los Angeles Times ), this book demonstrates how the truth and beauty of everything, from relativity to rainbows, is all in the numbers.

Index

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

About Time (Davis), 58

Acceleration, 181

Accidents, 28–29, 31–32, 166

Adams, William, 47

Adjusted Winner, 110–11

Airline accidents, 28–29, 31–32, 166

Alabama paradox, 106

Algebra, 178

Algebra of conversation, 163

Altruism, 115–23

Ambiguities, 8

Anderson, Carl, 185

Anderson, Philip, 61, 62

Andromeda galaxy, 43

Antimatter, 89, 185–86

Approval voting, 104

Arcadia (Tom Stoppard), 39, 138

Aristotle’s law of the excluded middle, 159–60

Arithmetical mean, 141

Arrow, Kenneth, 102

Arrow’s impossibility theorem, 102, 104

Artful Universe, The (Barrow), 188

Artificial intelligence, 163

Astronomy, 48–49, 68, 84, 87–88, 91–92, 93, 194–95

Asymmetry, 190

Atomic bomb, 80–81

Atoms, 46, 56, 62, 63, 64, 75–76, 130–31, 180, 185

Auctions, 112

Austad, Steven, 156, 171

Average, 141–42

Average person, 35

Axelrod, Robert, 115, 117–18, 119, 120

B

Backlash (Faludi), 27

Bacteria, 59

Baliunas, Sallie, 87, 88, 96

Barrow, John, 167, 188

Barry, Dave, 195

Bartlett, Albert A, 17, 20–21, 23, 25

Beauty, and truth, 172–91

Bell curve, 51, 142

Bell Curve, The (Murray and Hermstein), 9, 142

Benin, Joan, 171

Big bang, 91

Billiard balls, 132

Biology, 62

Black holes, 57, 69, 76

Blacks. See Race

Blinders, 90

Bohr, Niels, 202

Boltzmann, Ludwig, 148–49

Born, Max, 130, ...

Indice dei contenuti

• Title Page
• Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• What’s Math Got to Do with It?
• Where Mind Meets Math
• Exponential Amplification
• Calculated Risks
• Interpreting the Physical World
• The Measure of Man, Woman, and Thing
• A Matter of Scale
• Emerging Properties: More Is Different
• The Mathematics of Prediction
• The Signal in the Haystack
• Interpreting the Social World
• Voting: Lani Guinier Was Right
• Fair Division: The Wisdom of Solomon
• The Mathematics of Kindness:Math Proves the Golden Rule
• The Mathematics of Truth
• The Truth about Why Things Happen
• The Burden of Proof
• Emmy and Albert: The Unvarying Nature of Truth
• Selected Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author
• Connect with HMH
• Footnotes