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The Mathematical Universe: An Alphabetical Journey Through the Great Proofs, Problems, and Personalities 1st Edition

by William Dunham (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 46 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0471176619
ISBN-10: 0471176613
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 18, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471176613
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471176619
  • Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.8 x 9.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful
A Magnificent Overview
By Timothy Haugh VINE VOICE on November 11, 2000
Format: Paperback
I first read this book a number of years ago and recently read it again. I still think it is a magnificent overview of basic mathematics. In fact, it is one of the best overviews of basic mathematics that I have ever read. Dunham covers a wide range of topics and he does so in a very readable and understandable manner without giving up reasonable mathematical rigor. Someone with elementary algebra and geometry can follow all of Dunham's arguments and enjoy.
Of course, it is impossible to cover the entire range of mathematics in a book such as this but Dunham has chosen well. He sticks mainly to the fundementals of the major fields. In addition, his book reminds us that people with personalities have developed mathematics and that it's not a field created merely to strike fear into the hearts of schoolkids (and adults).
This book will always hold a special place for me: it was the catalyst for an epiphany. I had been teaching high school geometry for a few years when this book came out and I was very good at teaching the modern methods of proof and problem-solving. On the other hand, I didn't really like teaching constructions, because, though I could do them quite well, I didn't truly understand their place and function in geometry and its development. When I first read chapter "G" of this book ("Greek Geometry"), however, it was like a thousand puzzle pieces fell into place and I knew more than how to do constructions, I understood them and was able to teach them more effectively.
If you have any interest in mathematics at all, I recommend this book. It will not disappoint.
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39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Broad Coverage, but Fewer Proofs than Dunham's Other Works
By Allan Heydon on January 5, 2003
Format: Paperback
In this follow-on to his excellent "Journey Through Genius", William Dunham once again breathes life into a variety of mathematical topics. Whereas "Journey" was arranged around 12 great mathematical theorems, this book is arranged around the 26 letters of the alphabet. Some chapters cover the work of individuals (e.g., "Euler", "Knighted Newton", "Lost Leibniz", and "Russell's Paradox"), while others describe important mathematical results (e.g., "Isoperimetric Problem", "Spherical Surface", and "Trisection"). Still others, such as "Mathematical Personality" and "Where are the Women?", address social aspects of the field.
As in the previous book, Dunham's descriptions are entertaining and enlightening. The main difference is that this book has broader coverage. As a result, it tends to omit more of the proofs, which I found disappointing, but perhaps that will make it of interest to a wider audience. For people with a deeper interest in mathematics, I recommend you read either "Journey Through Genius" or "Euler: The Master of Us All", another Dunham masterpiece that includes detailed proofs throughout.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
A nice book, but not Dunhams best.
By A Customer on August 5, 2000
Format: Paperback
I have now read Dunhams 'Journey through Genius', 'Euler, the master of us all' and 'The Mathematical Universe'. These are three great books on Mathematics and choosing can become difficult. My personal favourite is 'Journey through Genius'.If you are mainly interested in magnificent proofs (real gems)with a historical account, then I would recommend 'Journey through Genius', for lots of nice eulerian proofs, then I recommend 'Euler, the master of us all' and if you want more a overview with some proofs and less depth, then buy 'The mathematical Universe'.
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31 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Sloppy Research--Who Can Trust this Information?
By Winfried Corduan on February 7, 2007
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I really enjoy this book, and I keep consulting it. But I really don't know whether what I'm learning from it is correct or not. Here's the problem: The two entries with which I have the most familiarity are just plain wrong.

The entry on the "Russell Paradox" reads like a hagiography of Bertrand Russell. It makes it appear that Russell ceased working on the Principia Mathematica because he could not find a solution to his paradox--whether a set, all of whose members are not members of themselves, contains itself. According to Dunham, his inability to find a satisfactory solution spelled the end of his quest for the development of a logical foundation for mathematics, which he communicated to Frege, who gave up on his attempts as well. This is pure fiction. The entire Principia Mathematica is based on Russell's theory of ramified types (the stipulation that a set cannot be a member of itself), which he confidently asserted as being the solution to the paradox throughout the work. What put an end to Russell and Whitehead's project, as well as Frege's, was Goedel's incompleteness theorem, totally ignored by Dunham.

Dunham's treatment of Venn diagrams is even worse because it is deprecating of John Venn and his work--and totally wrong. Dunham states that the diagrams that are named after him were Venn's only contribution to mathematics and then makes disparaging remarks about them, particularly that they lacked any originality. Here's the reality: John Venn was an extremely competent mathematician/logician whose many contributions included the furtherance of George Boole's innovations.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

specially for those who dislike math. Writen in an almost coloquial...

I think it is a must for everyone, specially for those who dislike math. Writen in an almost coloquial language the author targeted the non-mathematician reader and nicely... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Mario Tanabe
Outstanding book!

Outstanding book; informative and entertaining.

Published 9 months ago by William L. Brunner
fun

I love the manageable pieces and the choice of topics. A chapter on pi and a chapter on e for example are just what hope find. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Leonard Frieling
good read

Bought it as a christmas gift,never thought someone would like to read about math. This is a really great gift

Published 22 months ago by Karen Edie
Five stars because its a math book

What a great book, might have given it four stars, but since it is an interesting, well done math book, I give it five. Read more

Published 23 months ago by William I. Griffith
Math Phobia Killer.

This is the coolest book! It takes you down a counter-intuitive journey through math - using the alphabet as the guide. Fun, interesting, empowering. Read more

Published on November 16, 2013 by Oliver Demille
Brilliant overview; not for the incurious

While this book was not quite the one I wanted (I was hoping it would explain things like Cauchy sequences and billiard space), it is absolutely brilliant at the overview it does... Read more

Published on April 8, 2013 by D. E. Dickerson
Great products

Good pricing and fast shipment. Would recomend and purchases from again. Great quality of product and very friendly. Thanks again

Published on April 2, 2013 by Jessica
A great book for Math

This is a really great book about mathematics, I was required to read a book in Calc class and I was so lucky that I chose this book. Read more

Published on December 20, 2012 by Mr KevT
This book changed my life, but seriously

I chanced upon this book in tenth grade, and it changed my entire attitude toward math. I was ok at math before that, but "The Mathematical Universe" opened my eyes to a broader... Read more

Published on July 12, 2012 by D. Rosenof

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