First there was Edwin A. Abbott's remarkable Flatland, published in 1884, and one of the all-time classics of popular mathematics. Now, from mathematician and accomplished science writer Ian Stewart, comes what Nature calls "a superb sequel." Through larger-than-life characters and an inspired story line, Flatterland explores our present understanding of the shape and origins of the universe, the nature of space, time, and matter, as well as modern geometries and their applications. The journey begins when our heroine, Victoria Line, comes upon her great-great-grandfather A. Square's diary,...

Biologists have long dismissed mathematics as being unable to meaningfully contribute to our understanding of living beings. Within the past ten years, however, mathematicians have proven that they hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of our world--and ourselves.

In The Mathematics of Life, Ian Stewart provides a fascinating overview of the vital but little-recognized role mathematics has played in pulling back the curtain on the hidden complexities of the natural world--and how its contribution will be even more vital in the years ahead. In his characteristically clear and...

Most people are familiar with history's great equations: Newton's Law of Gravity, for instance, or Einstein's theory of relativity. But the way these mathematical breakthroughs have contributed to human progress is seldom appreciated. In In Pursuit of the Unknown, celebrated mathematician Ian Stewart untangles the roots of our most important mathematical statements to show that equations have long been a driving force behind nearly every aspect of our lives. Using seventeen of our most crucial equations--including the Wave Equation that allowed engineers to measure a building's...

In this retitled and revised edition of The Problems of Mathematics, renowned mathematician Ian Stewart gives math buffs and non-technical readers--as well as students of the subject--the perfect guide to today's mathematics. This challenging and fascinating book includes three new chapters that cover the most recent developments in the mathematics field, including one on Kepler's sphere-packing problem, to which a solution has been at last announced after a wait of 380 years.
Stewart, a particularly gifted mathematician and writer, shows us not only that math can be explained in everyday...

Welcome to Ian Stewart's strange and magical world of mathematics Math Hysteria contains twenty quirky tales of mathematical exploration by one of the world's most popular writers on mathematics. Ian Stewart presents us with a wealth of magical puzzles, each one spun around an amazing tale, including "Counting the Cattle of the Sun," "The Great Drain Robbery," and "Preposterous Piratical Predicaments." Fully illustrated with explanatory diagrams, each tale is told with engaging wit, sure to amuse everyone with an interest in puzzles and mathematics. Along the way, we also meet many curious...

Welcome back to Ian Stewart's magical world of mathematics Here are twenty more curious puzzles and fantastical mathematical stories from one of the world's most popular and accessible writers on mathematics. This is a strange world of never-ending chess games, empires on the moon, furious fireflies, and, of course, disputes over how best to cut a cake. Each chapter--with titles such as, "How to Play Poker By Post" and "Repealing the Law of Averages"--presents a fascinating mathematical puzzle that is challenging, fun, and introduces the reader to a significant mathematical problem in an...

Symmetry is an immensely important concept in mathematics and throughout the sciences. In this Very Short Introduction, Ian Stewart demonstrates symmetry's deep implications, showing how it even plays a major role in the current search to unify relativity and quantum theory. Stewart, a respected mathematician as well as a widely known popular-science and science-fiction writer, brings to this volume his deep knowledge of the subject and his gift for conveying science to general readers with clarity and humor. He describes how symmetry's applications range across the entire field of...

Mathematician Ian Stewart tells readers what he wishes he had known when he was a student. He takes up subjects ranging from the philosophical to the practical-what mathematics is and why it's worth doing, the relationship between logic and proof, the role of beauty in mathematical thinking, the future of mathematics, how to deal with the peculiarities of the mathematical community, and many others.