Reaching for the Extreme
How the Quest for the Biggest, Fewest and Weirdest Makes Maths
Published on 12. February 2026
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-1-80522-159-3 (ISBN)
Description
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF PROFESSOR STEWART'S CABINET OF MATHEMATICAL CURIOSITIES
'Britain's most brilliant and prolific populariser of maths' ALEX BELLOS
What is the maximum land you can enclose inside a given border?
What is the minimum number of colours you can use to colour in a map so that no region shares a shade?
And how do you calculate the shortest route between two cities?
These questions may not sound related, but they have this in common: they all explore extremes: shortest lines, greatest areas, fewest colours. They have also given rise to some of the most important areas of mathematical study and have resulted in a myriad of applications - from the legend of Dido's founding of the city of Carthage to contemporary satellite navigation systems.
From soap bubbles to the cosmos, Britain's most beloved mathematician tells the fascinating stories of the people and ideas pushing the very bounds of mathematics - and the discoveries that have changed our lives.
'Britain's most brilliant and prolific populariser of maths' ALEX BELLOS
What is the maximum land you can enclose inside a given border?
What is the minimum number of colours you can use to colour in a map so that no region shares a shade?
And how do you calculate the shortest route between two cities?
These questions may not sound related, but they have this in common: they all explore extremes: shortest lines, greatest areas, fewest colours. They have also given rise to some of the most important areas of mathematical study and have resulted in a myriad of applications - from the legend of Dido's founding of the city of Carthage to contemporary satellite navigation systems.
From soap bubbles to the cosmos, Britain's most beloved mathematician tells the fascinating stories of the people and ideas pushing the very bounds of mathematics - and the discoveries that have changed our lives.
Reviews / Votes
PRAISE FOR IAN STEWART: 'Stewart has a genius for explanation * New Scientist * A testament to the versatility of maths and how it is shaping our understanding of the world * Guardian * Ian Stewart shows us how maths makes the world - and the rest of the universe - go round -- Professor Steven Strogatz, Cornell UniversityMore details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
Over 100 greyscale illustrations, graphs, charts
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
560 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80522-159-3 (9781805221593)
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 Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 09/2030
Profile Books Ltd
€44.76
Not yet published
E-Book
02/2026
Profile Books Ltd
€23.49
Available for download
Person
Ian Stewart is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of Warwick. He is the author of the bestseller Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities, as well as What's the Use?, Do Dice Play God?, Significant Figures, Incredible Numbers, Seventeen Equations that Changed the World, Professor Stewart's Casebook of Mathematical Mysteries and Calculating the Cosmos. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society.