The Remarkable Lives of Numbers
Did you know there are 17 possible types of symmetric wallpaper pattern? Do you know what ‘casting out the nines’ is? Or why 88 is the fourth ‘untouchable’ number? Or how 7 is used to test for the onset of dementia.
Number fanatic Derrick Niederman has a mission to bring numbers to life. He explores the unique properties of the most exciting numbers from 1 to 200, wherever they may crop up: from mathematics to sport, from history to the natural world, from language to pop culture.
Packed with illustrations, amusing facts, puzzles, brainteasers and anecdotes, this is an enthralling and thought-provoking numerical voyage through the history of mathematics, investigating problems of logic, geometry and arithmetic along the way.
Book details
- Format
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780715654026
- Published
- 20 February 2020
- Pages
- 304
- Duration
- Dimensions
- 142 x 198 mm
- Genre
- Popular Science
- Imprint
- Duckworth
Reviews
'This book is a complete joy. It made me smile. A lot'
'There's more to maths than just numbers - but, as this entertaining and engaging book amply demonstrates, the depth and variety of mathematical ideas that appear when you start with 1, 2, 3 and keep going is astonishing. Once you start reading it's just like the number system itself - impossible to stop'
'A great maths book for geeks and non-geeks alike'
'A fun book... definitely challenging'
'A fascinating parade of diverse numerical characters... An entertaining mix of numerical fun and theory'
'All sorts of fascinating mathematical minutiae'
