Wonders of Numbers: Adventures in Math, Mind, and Meaning (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Are you a mathematical amateur?..." (more)
Key Phrases: hailstone numbers, pair squarions, narcissistic numbers, Further Exploring, New York, Further Reading (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If we actually received messages from the stars, what would we do with them? Who were the five strangest mathematicians in history? What are the ten most interesting numbers? Who is the Number King? Jam-packed with thought-provoking mathematical mysteries, puzzles, and games--as well as the answers to all of the above questions--Wonders of Numbers will enchant even the most left-brained of readers.
Hosted by the quirky Dr. Googol--who resides on an island in Sri Lanka and occasionally collaborates with Clifford Pickover--Wonders of Numbers focuses on creativity and the delight of discovery. Here is a potpourri of common and unusual number theory problems of varying difficulty--each presented in brief chapters that convey to readers the essence of the problem rather than the extraneous, convoluted history of it. Want to know about undulating numbers? Turn to Chapter 53 and in just a few pages you'll have a quick challenge. Interested in Fibonacci numbers? Turn to Chapter 74 for the same. Peppered throughout with illustrations that clarify many of the problems, Wonders of Numbers also includes fascinating "math gossip." How would we use numbers to communicate with aliens? Check out Chapter 31. What are the five saddest mathematical scandals? You'll find them in Chapter 35. Did you know that there is a Numerical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? There is, and it's in Chapter 46.
Indeed, each chapter in Wonders of Numbers is a paradox and a mystery. From the beautiful formula of India's most famous mathematician to the Leviathan number so big it makes a trillion look small, Dr. Googol's witty, disarming, and straightforward approach to numbers will entice students, educators, and scientists alike to pick up a pencil and work a problem.

From the Author

Who are the eight most influential female mathematicians? Why aren't Roman numerals used anymore? Why was the first woman mathematician brutally murdered? What were the Unabomber's ten most mathematical technical papers?

Prepare yourself for a shattering odyssey as Wonders of Numbers unlocks the doors of your imagination. The thought-provoking mysteries, puzzles, and problems range from the most beautiful formula of Ramanujan (India's most famous mathematician) to the Leviathan number, a number so big that it makes a trillion pale in comparison. The mysterious puzzles and games should cause even the most left-brained readers to fall in love with numbers. The quirky and exclusive surveys on mathematicians' lives, scandals, and passions will entertain people at all levels of mathematical sophistication.

Grab a pencil. Relax. Then take off on a mind-boggling journey to the ultimate frontier of math, mind, and meaning, as Dr. Clifford Pickover and legendary, eccentric mathematician Dr. Francis Googol explore some of the oddest and quirkiest highways and byways of the numerically obsessed. With numerous illustrations and appendices pointing to computer explorations, this is an original, fun-filled, and thoroughly unique introduction to numbers and their role in creativity, computers, games, practical research, and absurd adventures that teeter on the edge of logic and insanity.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1st edition (December 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195133420
• ISBN-13: 978-0195133424
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #487,273 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book, January 26, 2001

By	Dennis W. Gordon (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

Now here is a fine weekend escape - a delightful book to be read with one's feet up and an ice cold beverage all the while contemplating the wonders of numbers. Mostly about the integers, there are such mathematical adventures as 2, 3, and 4 dimensional magic squares, numbers so huge they require special notation and easily dwarf the number of atoms in the known universe, fractal number sequences, Mozart numbers, and lots of other fun things in the 125 chapters. My favorite numbers are the Schizophrenic numbers (Chapter 93) which when evaluated to 500 digits reveal patterns of seemingly random digits alternating with chains of repetitions of identical digits. The book is especially entertaining for the connections shown between some of these numbers and music, art, science, and other areas of mathematics.

For additional enjoyment the Further Exploring section offers additional background including references to books and web sites and also some challenges to readers - a few of which even include a cash prize. And, best of all Wonders of Numbers is written in plain English and accompanied by splendid graphics, lively anecdotes, and a generous supply of epigraphs. A fun way to while away a weekend.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem for teachers, February 9, 2001

By	Lynne Kelly (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Pickover's latest book is wonderful! I specialise in teaching very able mathematics students and have used Clifford A. Pickover's books and web site with great success. The students really respond to his sense of humour.

Wonders of Numbers is exactly the sort of material which stimulates the bright kids (and their teachers!), and gets them thinking in depth long after the class has finished. It takes them beyond the idea of just "getting sums right" to the concept that mathematics is a glorious plaything.

Many of the chapters include computer related themes (fractals, programming) so students can see that mathematics is an evolving subject, not something which was all discovered long ago.

The constant inclusion of interesting people, the humour in the writing, the validity of the topics mathematically, the strange sidelines and the general sense of fun, ensures I have another gem to extend the students beyond the regular curriculum. The chapters are just the right size to initiate a topic and motivate the students to pursue it. It is lovely to have material to use which doesn't just lead to a correct answer and end to the problem, but leads them to take it further and further.

Wonderful!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best "Pickover" I've read, July 23, 2001

By	Daryl Anderson (Trumansburg, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Pickover fans will buy and enjoy this book - his 26th by my rough count.

But if you aren't a fan, if you've tasted and returned to the kitchen previous titles by Mr. Pickover, you might still enjoy this fascinating buffet.

And those are 5 hard-earned stars in my rating! I was well past starting to think that the best parts of Pickover's books were the always-intriguing titles. I had started a number of these in the past, but usually ended up skimming or setting them aside. None that I have read would have earned more than 3 stars. Until now!

"Wonders of Numbers" is, somehow, different. It still has some of his quirky lists ("The Unabomber's 10 Most Mathematical Technical Papers", "A Ranking of the 5 Strangest Mathematicians Who Ever Lived"). It still has the intriguing titles - each of 125 "chapters" carries one, ranging from "The Pipes of Papua" to "Anchovy Marriage Test". The pieces still seem to jump all over the place. Most of these things didn't grab me in past Pickover titles. Here, they all fit together and work nicely.

Oddly enough, I think the appeal of this volume might be its eclecticism. Pickover is not trying to create a whole story as he has in some earlier books ("Time: A Traveler's Guide", "Surfing through Hyperspace"). The unifying center of this book is, simply, mathematics and the myriad ways it exposes its wonders to us. I'm guessing that the reason I haven't put this one down is my own fascination with mathematics itself. The broader the scope the better - and none takes a wider view than Clifford Pickover. The book has something for everyone - but it will also draw you in to other pieces you thought you weren't interested in. Martin Gardner meets Conway & Guy ! A nice combo.