The Math Chat Book (Spectrum) [Paperback]

Frank Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0883855305 | ISBN-13: 978-0883855300

Mathematics can be fun for everyone, and this book shows it. It grew out of the author's popularisation of mathematics via live, call-in TV shows and widely published articles. The questions, comments, and even the answers here come largely from the callers and readers themselves, and so the book covers the kind of mathematical problems that people are interested in, not those that professional mathematicians, writers or even publishers think people should be interested in. The book makes no attempt to fit any mould. Although written by a research mathematician, it goes where the callers and readers have directed it, over a wide range of topics and levels. Everyone paging through it will be captured by something of interest, whether they consider themselves interested in mathematics or not.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Mathematics can be fun for everyone, and this book shows it. It grew out of the author's popularisation of mathematics via live, call-in TV shows and widely published articles. Everyone paging through the book will be captured by something of interest, whether they consider themselves interested in mathematics or not.

About the Author

Frank Morgan is Dennis Meenan Third Century Professor of Mathematics at Williams College and Second Vice-President of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). He has received one of the first MAA Haimo awards for distinguished teaching, MIT's Baker teaching award, and an honorary doctorate from Cedar Crest College.

Morgan went to MIT and Princeton, taught for ten years at MIT (where he served as Undergraduate Mathematics Chair), and came to Williams in 1987, where he has served as chair and as founding director of an NSF undergraduate research program. Morgan's three other books all now have new editions: Geometric Measure Theory: a Beginner's Guide; Riemannian Geometry: a Beginner's Guide; and Calculus Lite.

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883855305
• ISBN-13: 978-0883855300
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #301,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun problems submitted to a call-in show, March 15, 2001

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Math Chat Book (Spectrum) (Paperback)

Despite the math phobia that afflicts so much of the population, it is limited in extent. All but the most committed hater of mathematics understands how valuable it is and respects those who can use math. This book is a catalog of questions submitted to a call-in show, which is certainly one of the most unusual ways to solicit mathematics problems. The world seems to be overpopulated with call-in shows, some of which get downright weird. To many people, discussing personal problems over the airwaves is the preferred way to deal with them. This is clearly a case of a call-in show that adds something to society rather than airing some of the ills that afflict it.
The problems presented in the book are fascinating, in that they start with simple ideas concerning how the world works. My two favorites are "Do Airplanes Get Lighter as Passengers Eat Lunch?" and "Can a Computer Have Free Will?" These are the type of problems that kindle the interest of lay people. Interesting, sometimes profound questions where the answers require a bit of deep thought. Some of the best brain teaser problems with simple solutions that you will ever find are in this collection. I have used a few of them as test problems to try the patience of my students.
It is gratifying to see such an endeavor succeed. Mathematics has so much to offer our society, but like artisans throughout history it is truly the society in general that supports the practitioners. Programs like this convince us all that, despite the occasional spouting of math phobia, our society does indeed respect mathematics as a pillar of human achievement.