How to Derive a Formula

Will artificial intelligence make scientific formulae redundant by eventually solving all current and future physical problems? The authors of this book would argue that there is still a vital role for humans to play in making sense of the laws of nature. To derive a formula one follows a series of steps, only the last of which is to check that the result is correct. The book is about unravelling this machinery.

Mathematics is the 'queen of all sciences', but students encounter many obstacles in learning the subject: familiarization with the proofs of hundreds of theorems, mysterious symbols, and technical routines for which the usefulness is not obvious upfront. Learners could lose motivation, not seeing the wood for the trees.

This two-volume book How to Derive a Formula is an attempt to engage learners by presenting mathematical methods in as simple terms as possible, with more of an emphasis on skills as opposed to technical knowledge. Based on intuition and common sense rather than mathematical rigour, it teaches students from scratch using pertinent examples, many taken from across the physical sciences to demonstrate the application of the methods taught.

This book draws on humour and historical facts to provide an interesting new perspective on what a mathematics textbook could be. The two volumes are presented as an ascent to Everest. Volume 1 covered the necessary basics, taking readers from Base Camp to Camps 1 and 2. This volume moves readers from Camp 2 up to Camps 3 and 4, tackling more advanced methods for deriving formulae. Inevitably, Volume 2 requires readers to tackle more challenging terrain than was experienced in Volume 1 and so is targeted at more advanced students.