The Call of Coincidence
Mathematical Gems, Peculiar Patterns, and More Stories of Numerical Serendipity
Published on 15. June 2023
192 pages
978-1-63388-927-9 (ISBN)
Description
Strange happenstances and chance encounters have puzzled us for centuries. This fun and fascinating book takes readers on a journey through the mathematics behind coincidences both famous and never-before-examined. From peculiar patterns in geometry and calculus to the famous Waring Problem, and other astonishing numerical curiosities, The Call of Coincidence begins by examining the mathematical properties that underpin everything there is. Next, author Owen O'Shea - along with fictional guides Charlie Chance and the enigmatic Dr. Moogle - reveals surprising connections and correlations throughout history, including numerical coincidences behind the reign of King Richard III, the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the 1996 FIFA World Cup, and much, much more. By investigating the properties, puzzles, and problems within, you will gain a newfound appreciation for the beautiful simplicity of mathematics in its many forms.
Featuring surprising trivia gems alongside serious questions like why there is something rather than nothing, readers will be enriched by this exploration of remarkable number coincidences and the mathematics that make them possible - and probable.
,
Featuring surprising trivia gems alongside serious questions like why there is something rather than nothing, readers will be enriched by this exploration of remarkable number coincidences and the mathematics that make them possible - and probable.
,
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
119 BW Illustrations
File size
1,97 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-63388-927-9 (9781633889279)
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
Owen O'Shea
The Call of Coincidence
Mathematical Gems, Peculiar Patterns, and More Stories of Numerical Serendipity
Book
08/2023
Prometheus Books
€22.40
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Owen O'Shea is the author of The Book of Proposition Bets, Mathematical Brainteasers with Surprising Solutions, and The Call of the Primes as well as articles in the Journal of Recreational Mathematics and EdgeScience. He lives in Ireland
Content
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Probability and Coincidence
- 2 Cubic Numbers
- 3 Some Words Concerning the Square Root of 2
- 4 Waring's Problem and Other Related Matters
- 5 Drawing Conclusions from Mathematical Data Can Sometimes Lead to Error
- 6 Does Mathematics Exist outside of Human Minds?
- 7 Geometry Gems
- 8 I First Meet with Dr. Moogle, Numerologist Extraordinaire
- 9 Simple Examples of How Mathematicians Derive Formulas
- 10 A Few Words about Simplicity, Mathematics, and Everything There Is
- 11 Tom the Piper's Son and Other Classic Calculus Problems That Can Be Solved without Calculus
- 12 Two Lightning Calculation Tricks and Sundry Other Matters
- 13 Parallels in the Lives of Sam Loyd and Martin Gardner
- 14 Dr. Moogle Gives a Numerological Analysis of the 1966 FIFA World Cup Tournament in England
- 15 Curiosities Concerning the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
- 16 A Curious E-Mail from Dr. Moogle
- 17 O'Mara, the Mathematical Seafarer
- 18 Similarities and Curiosities between the RMS Titanic and Eastern Air Lines Flight 401
- 19 Charlie Chance, the Mathematical Barman
- 20 Coincidences Surrounding King Richard III of England
- 21 Nine Problems
- 22 Nine Curious and Beautiful Number Patterns
- 23 Six Little-Known Results in Number Theory
- 24 Twenty-Six Ridiculous Questions
- Notes
- References for Further Reading
