'Playful and deeply serious ... shows how exploring equality in maths may help the real world' NEW SCIENTIST
'Eugenia Cheng has humour, grace and a natural gift' DANIEL LEVITIN
'Clear, clever and friendly...even at her most whimsical, she is rigorous and insightful' ALEX BELLOS
At first glance, the concept of equality in maths seems unambiguous. When we see the equality sign, we think of 'solving for x' or balancing two sides of an equation or maybe even the many famous equations that make use of this elegant, innocuous symbol.
But between those parallel lines lies a mathematical playground of choice and abstraction, leading to far greater insight than you could have dreamed. As it turns out, sameness and difference, equality and inequality, are not nearly as straightforward as they seem.
Unequal explores the rich and rewarding interplay between sameness and difference, from numbers to manifolds to category theory and beyond in a glorious celebration of mathematics that will change the way you look at maths - and the world around you - forever.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
Intriguing, thought-provoking, and occasionally dizzying, Unequal offers new ways of formulating solutions for all kinds of problems -- Kathleen McBroom * Booklist * [This] is more than a regurgitation of the many formulas you may recall learning in school; Cheng argues that an equation - in its barest sense, a declaration that two things are equal - can be a profound statement on the choices we make about what is or is not the same. -- Katrina Miller * The New York Times * "If you think maths is all about equations, and you think equations are rigid black-and-white facts, then you probably think maths is all rigid and black-and-white," says Cheng. This book is a wonderful refutation of that misconception. Exploring the meaning of "equals" in mathematics gives us a better understanding not just of the nuance and richness of the field, but of how ideas of equality are used (and misused) in life. Her approach is both playful and deeply serious, leavening abstract concepts with entertaining tangents on everything from knitting Moebius strips [and] important political and rights-based questions around equality ... to making an iterated Battenberg cake -- Professor Emerita Sarah Hart, author of Once Upon a Prime * New Scientist * Cheng attempts to impart crucial life lessons via the fundamentals of math ... [making] the case that using the ways of thinking required in math can enrich people's lives and provide a more nuanced viewpoint * Publishers Weekly * Praise for Is Maths Real? * : * A generous tour of mathematics for anyone whose instincts tend less towards "Just tell me the answer" and more towards "Wait, but why?" -- Jordan Ellenberg, author of 'Shape' An edible exploration of math * The New York Times * Intriguing ... Celebrates the dizziness and disorientation engendered by childlike questions that hint at the deep mysteries beneath -- Anil Ananthaswamy * New Scientist * Passionate, eye-opening and accessible ... a love letter to the curious spirit of the discipline * Waterstones Best Books of 2023 * A brilliant rebuttal to those who see math as only about right answers, rather than about creative discovery. [Cheng] masterfully uncovers what's simply profound in the profoundly simple -- Francis Su, author of 'Mathematics for Human Flourishing' Discover what it feels like to be a real mathematician ... This is a human pursuit, depicted here from the inside -- Simon Ings * Telegraph * An entertaining foray into the more philosophical realms of mathematics ... for the budding mathematician in the house, to say nothing of lovers of puzzles and enigmas * Kirkus * Praise for x + y * : * 'A way of seeing this exhausting debate from a completely new angle ... bold and optimistic * Guardian * A fascinating, disarmingly accessible read and a wonderful example of what academics should in general do much more of * Irish Times * Compelling ... x+y provides useful new tools for change, for those - like me - involved in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. For those who are not yet involved, she sets out reasons to become so. And I'm a new fan of pure mathematics. Dr Cheng, can we be friends? * Nature * This book changed my life in the most beautiful way. Eugenia Cheng doesn't just explain why the way our society conceptualizes gender is all wrong - she proposes a new way of thinking about - and beyond - gender. Through accessible graphs and brilliant metaphor, Cheng pushes her readers instead to think about a person's behavior ... Stunning -- Rebecca Ramirez * NPR * Reimagine[s] gender through her mathematical lens as one of few women in the field * The New York Times *
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Für Beruf und Forschung
Produkt-Hinweis
Dateigröße
ISBN-13
978-1-80522-308-5 (9781805223085)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Eugenia Cheng is a Pure Mathematician, Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Honorary Visiting Fellow of Pure Mathematics at City, University of London. A Cambridge graduate, she previously taught at the Universities of Cambridge, Chicago and Nice. She is also a concert pianist, fluent in French, and the author of several bestsellers, including How to Bake Pi and x + y.
