Bücher von Calvin C. Clawson

The story of numbers is a rich, sweeping history that shows how our mathematical achievements contributed to the greatest innovations of civilization. Calvin Clawson, acclaimed author of Conquering Math Phobia, weaves a story of numbers that spans thousands of years. As Clawson so clearly shows, numbers are not only an intrinsic and essential thread in our modern lives, but have always been an integral part of the human psyche - knit into the very fabric of our identity as humans. Clawson travels back through time to the roots of the history of numbers. In exploring early human fascination with numbers, he unearths the clay beads, knotted ropes, and tablets used by our ancestors as counting tools. He then investigates how numeric symbols and concepts developed uniquely and independently in Meso-America, China, and Egypt. As he persuasively argues, the mathematical concepts that arose and flourished in the ancient world enabled the creation of architectural masterpieces as well as the establishment of vast trade networks. Continuing the journey, Clawson brings us to the elegant logic of numbers that soon came to distinguish itself as a discipline and the language of science. From the concepts of infinity contemplated by the Greeks to the complex numbers that are indispensable to scientists on the cutting edge of research today, Clawson breathes life and meaning into the history of great mathematical mysteries and problems. In this spirit of inquiry, he explores, in their times and places, the discovery of numbers that lie outside the province of counting, including irrational numbers, transcendentals, complex numbers, and the enormous transfinite numbers. The personalities and thecreative feats surrounding each mathematical invention come alive vividly in Clawson's lucid prose. In this work of breathtaking scope, Clawson guides us through the wonders of numbers and illustrates their monumental impact on civilization.

Calvin Clawson, the author of "Mathematical Mysteries", has a talent for opening the door for the uninitiated to the splendors of mathematics. A writer in love with his subject, Clawson offers readers the perfect antidote to the phobias and misconceptions surrounding mathematics in this text.

This unparalleled meditation on the beauty and meaning of numbers explores the most exquisite equations in mathematics and allows us to experience the rush of exhilaration that comes with understanding their grandeur. Calvin Clawson asserts that, in the same way we are struck by the beauty of a great work of art, our brains are singularly attuned to comprehending and finding pleasure in deep mathematical truths. Clawson lets numbers sing their siren song by conferring on us the sensibility to grasp their meaning. Any of us, recalling only the basics of high school algebra, can follow Clawson into the heart of mathematics. There we learn to appreciate the wonder, as great mathematicians have through the ages, of the unexplainable symmetry, beauty, and interconnectedness of numbers. The mystery of numbers lies in a bewildering paradox: if numbers are purely objects of human thought, then why do they correspond so strikingly to the physical universe? Indeed, as Clawson explains, the story of mathematics is comprised of near-mystical expressions that elegantly connect the most important mathematical truths. Further mysteries abound: How can a simple, familiar equation, when graphed, be transformed into a stunningly complex and beautiful fractal? Why have questions posed by the Greeks remained beyond proof by even the best and brightest of our century? How can we humans, as limited and finite beings, play with and discover the infinite? This book cuts to the soul of what drives mathematicians on lifelong pilgrimages of discovery - and stays in touch with the wonder at the core of that pursuit.