Customer Reviews

Mrs. Perkins's Electric Quilt: And Other Intriguing Stories of Mathematical Physics

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I have now read six of Paul Nahin's books and enjoyed them all. The one difference with this book is perhaps that it dosn't have a single underlying theme other then being a collection of very interesting problems in basic physics. They were all good but the first chapter hooked me: what is the position after five seconds of a particle with an applied force of kx**2? Sound trivial? It sure surprised me. In solving these problems he provides a perfect mix of math, physics, history, and anecdotes. As for prerequisites, a familiarity but not expertise with calculus and high school physics should be sufficient. By the way, another author very similar in style (except more towards theoretical than applied math) is John Derbyshire. Both gentlemen remind me of that one professor who could make any lecture so interesting that you were sad when the class ended.

The mathematics largely dominates the physics in this book, the problems vary in the level of their physics difficulty but the math level stays pretty constant. In nearly all cases, understanding integrals, some of which are complex, is necessary if you are to understand the solution. Generally speaking, the physics problems are understandable by anyone that has a fundamental understanding of the principles of physics. A strong course in high school physics would be adequate preparation.
Many of the problems have a tone of the absurd to them, yet that what makes them appealing. For example, section 10.3 describes how much energy it would take to blow up a planet, as the dreaded Death Star did in the first "Star Wars" movie. Another set of problems is based on the hollow Earth absurdity and Jules Verne's classic story "Journey to the Center of the Earth." The problem from which the title is derived is based on the tiling of a square region using only square pieces, which could be used to construct a quilt. It is transformed into a problem in electricity by making the quilt a plate of pieces of metal through which electricity will flow.
This book would be an ideal resource for a course in mathematical physics or engineering that is more informal. The problems are the type that students would truly have fun with and they are sufficiently challenging so that they are worthy of advanced students. Mathematics instructors with a physics background could also incorporate some of the problems into applied math courses. I know my students would have loved to see the problem of blowing up a planet worked out.

If you have, or a student has, any interest in mathematics in itself or related to other areas, read anything Paul Nahin writes. I have found each of his books full of wonderful surprises. He almost always fills in all the detail a reader needs but also makes you think about it [meaning and solution] instead of just laying out the final answers. He makes you think, not only about what the particular 'case' is but how similar problems can be attached and even how to "know what to do when you don't know what to do"---which is the best definition of genius that I've heard.

I think the only writer I can think of who has his skill, in the last 20 years, was Ian Stewart.

I have purchased several books by the author but have
always purchased paper versions. I thought I'd try this one on Kindle 3.
Big mistake! The equations are blurry and petty much illegible.
The equations must be images and when enlarged become more unreadable!
I guess I'll go back to paper books for readability.