At its heart, mathematics is about numbers, which in turn are vital to the way we understand the world. In Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers, Ian Stewart offers a delightful entree into the wider, beautiful world of math through numbers as varied as Pi, 2, i, and -1. In each brief and accessible chapter, Stewart uses a number to introduce readers to an essential mathematical concept. Chapter 1.059463 (the twelfth root of 2, which is the ratio of the frequencies of successive notes on a musical scale) untangles the mathematics of sound and sound waves. Focusing on the Rubik’s Cube, the improbable Chapter 43,252,003,274,489,856,000?the total possible positions?demonstrates how one would calculate that number.With his characteristic wit and erudition, Stewart makes math easy, accessible, and interesting, allowing even the most math-phobic to confidently venture into the world of incredible numbers that surrounds us.
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Ian Stewart is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick and Director of its Mathematics Awareness Centre. He is also a regular research visitor at the University of Houston, the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications in Minneapolis, and the Santa Fe institute. His writing has appeared in New Scientist, Discover, Scientific American, and many newspapers in the U.K. and U.S.
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