For most people, mathematics is an abstraction with little connection to the ""real"" universe. But some mathematicians have discovered relatively simple yet exceedingly powerful patterns that yield insight into aspects of natural and human behavior. ""Mathematics"" presents 10 essays that profile the minds behind such patterns, many of which have surfaced in recent popular culture. Meet Leonardo of Pisa, who worked with Fibonacci numbers and the ""Golden Section""; John von Neumann and John Nash, proponents of game theory; Edward Lorentz, who developed chaos theory; and Sid Meier, who has created award-winning computer games, such as Gettysburg and SimGolf, and five other mathematicians. Although the ideas explored here may produce complex results, they are inherently simple in concept, making them appealing, accessible vehicles for acquainting students with the human side of mathematics.

 

This book is part of a book series called Milestones in Discovery And Invention .

This book is aimed at children in secondary school.

There are 170 pages in this book. This book was published 2007 by Facts On File Inc .

Harry Henderson is an educational and technical editor and writer in the areas of mathematics and computer science. He is the author of Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology, Global Terrorism, Revised Edition, Modern Mathematicians, and Nuclear Physics.