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Group Theory in the Bedroom and Other Mathematical Diversions by Brian Hayes
An Award-Winning Essayist Plies His CraftBrian Hayes is one of the most accomplished essayists active today—a claim supported not only by his prolific and continuing high-quality output but also by such honors as the National Magazine Award for his commemorative Y2K essay titled "Clock of Ages," published in the November/December 1999 issue of The Sciences magazine. (The also-rans that year included Tom Wolfe, Verlyn Klinkenborg, and Oliver Sacks.) Hayes's work in this genre has also appeared in such anthologies as The Best American Magazine Writing, The Best American Science and Nature Writing, and The Norton Reader . Here he offers us a selection of his most memorable and accessible pieces—including "Clock of Ages"—embellishing them with an overall, scene-setting preface, reconfigured illustrations, and a refreshingly self-critical "Afterthoughts" section appended to each essay.
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First published April 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 11, 2009
The twelve essays in this book were first published in American Scientist, the "magazine of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society". The collection comes with the requisite dustjacket hype by Martin Gardner ( each essay is a gem of science writing at its highest level ), as well as a more ambiguous commendation by someone called Sarah Lippincott ( if you love numbers, grids and graphs, you'll love this book ). In the book's preface, Hayes treats us to a display of faux-humility ("Aw shucks, I'm not qualified") which is striking only for its transparent insincerity.
On balance, I'd have to agree with his assessment - it's not clear exactly what his qualifications are. But the word that comes to mind to describe the majority of these essays is 'woolly-headed' - there is a rambling, unfocused quality to them that leaves the reader questioning the time invested in reading them.
An exception to this criticism is the essay on the genetic code. Hayes's riff on the problem of mattress-flipping and its link to the Klein 4-group is imaginative and entertaining. Essays on the astronomical clock at Strasbourg and on the kinds of gear problems faced by watchmakers might appeal to some, but my pathological aversion to all things mechanical caused my eyes to glaze over pretty early on.
I found Hayes's ruminations on randomness, economics, and "the statistics of warfare" particularly weak - neither focused nor rigorous. Essays on the use of base 3, the meaning of identity and issues of nomenclature were coherent but uninspiring.
Two superior essays out of twelve seems a little disappointing, which is why I give this collection only two stars.
(To be fair, if my training had been in computer science, rather than in mathematics, I might have viewed these essays differently)
On balance, I'd have to agree with his assessment - it's not clear exactly what his qualifications are. But the word that comes to mind to describe the majority of these essays is 'woolly-headed' - there is a rambling, unfocused quality to them that leaves the reader questioning the time invested in reading them.
An exception to this criticism is the essay on the genetic code. Hayes's riff on the problem of mattress-flipping and its link to the Klein 4-group is imaginative and entertaining. Essays on the astronomical clock at Strasbourg and on the kinds of gear problems faced by watchmakers might appeal to some, but my pathological aversion to all things mechanical caused my eyes to glaze over pretty early on.
I found Hayes's ruminations on randomness, economics, and "the statistics of warfare" particularly weak - neither focused nor rigorous. Essays on the use of base 3, the meaning of identity and issues of nomenclature were coherent but uninspiring.
Two superior essays out of twelve seems a little disappointing, which is why I give this collection only two stars.
(To be fair, if my training had been in computer science, rather than in mathematics, I might have viewed these essays differently)
June 16, 2009
A fun, light read passed along from Brent. The mathematics described here aren't very complicated, and mainly it is interesting for its philosophical ponderings over things like how long a programmer should assume his or her code will be used, or the meaning of sameness or measuring the quality of randomness.
If I could make one improvement to the book it would be to add more math to it! I was very intrigued by the articles on gears and mechanical computation and would love to read more about the nitty gritty workings of that.
If I could make one improvement to the book it would be to add more math to it! I was very intrigued by the articles on gears and mechanical computation and would love to read more about the nitty gritty workings of that.
March 6, 2018
This is a fantastic collection of mathematical and computing curio, which is accessible enough for the layperson but still contains enough technical detail to allude to the full extent of the rigour required for proof.
I think my favourite articles were “Inventing the Genetic Code”, “On the Teeth of Wheels”, “Identity crisis”, and the titular column, “Group Theory in the Bedroom”. These articles touched on topics in pure math which have always been dear to my heart, namely number theory, group theory, and coding theory; additionally, topics covered in “Identity Theory” delved into some interesting implementation details of programming languages.
I especially appreciated the afterwords, which included some minor corrections, but also some fascinating facts presented by readers of the column. These appended sections never failed to expound upon some new facet of the original topic, and further enhanced my engagement with each chapter.
The conversational style of this book is very approachable, although it might sometimes be necessary to look up additional facts (sometimes on Math Exchange etc.) to be fully convinced of some of the more vague claims. I am definitely interested in revisiting this book to try my hand at some of the computational experimentation that Hayes performed to support his writing!
I think my favourite articles were “Inventing the Genetic Code”, “On the Teeth of Wheels”, “Identity crisis”, and the titular column, “Group Theory in the Bedroom”. These articles touched on topics in pure math which have always been dear to my heart, namely number theory, group theory, and coding theory; additionally, topics covered in “Identity Theory” delved into some interesting implementation details of programming languages.
I especially appreciated the afterwords, which included some minor corrections, but also some fascinating facts presented by readers of the column. These appended sections never failed to expound upon some new facet of the original topic, and further enhanced my engagement with each chapter.
The conversational style of this book is very approachable, although it might sometimes be necessary to look up additional facts (sometimes on Math Exchange etc.) to be fully convinced of some of the more vague claims. I am definitely interested in revisiting this book to try my hand at some of the computational experimentation that Hayes performed to support his writing!
May 26, 2023
I piccoli saggi che costituiscono i capitoli sono pieni di curiosità computazionali. Molto piacevole!
October 21, 2014
Of course, it was the risqué title that caught my eye in the library, and of course, it was not at all a naughty book, but a book of mathematical essays of a highly accessible sort. Brian Hayes is a computer programmer who wrote these articles for a column in American Scientist magazine from the 1990's. Each essay invites the reader into a thought experiment or presents a bit of history behind a mathematical concept or application. Some are trivial, such as the mattress flipping algorithm that is behind the title. Some have more profound social significance, such as the the overview of Lewis Fry Richardson's study of the "The Statistics of Deadly Quarrels", an attempt to tally and comprehend mathematically the impact of crime, rebellion and wars on humankind. Another walked the reader through "Molecular Economics", which used a simple probabilistic model to suggest that the tendency of the free market is to consolidate money into the hands of the wealthy in the way that rain trickles down to the oceans. If I've got it right, the enormous big new book by Thomas Picketty essentially boils down to that (although he used history and statistics to make his point). Other chapters, especially the ones about the ancient craft of designing clocks and gears, actually echoed around very nicely with some things I've been doing at work trying to understand complex time schedules and repeating events. I'm not a mathematical guy. Any mathematical operator more arcane than an exponent will make my eyes glaze over. I'm probably very close to the target audience for this book, and it worked. It clicked.
I only gave it three stars, however. Four stars are reserved for books where I laughed so loud people thought I was crazy. Five stars are for book that are life-changing. This one also had the disadvantage that people in the subway and the elevator thought I was reading something racy, without the advantage of actually being racy.
I only gave it three stars, however. Four stars are reserved for books where I laughed so loud people thought I was crazy. Five stars are for book that are life-changing. This one also had the disadvantage that people in the subway and the elevator thought I was reading something racy, without the advantage of actually being racy.
November 4, 2018
Picked this book hesitantly because I was worried the math would be too much for me, but I had been wanting to know what exactly group theory is and the witty title had me gripped. It didn't disappoint, Hayes is really good at explaining advanced concepts in an easily understandable way. The eleven extra essays are a pleasant surprise, I love that there's a wide variety of topics. There is something here that'll appeal to people from different fields from mechanical engineers to political scientists.
October 4, 2010
This wonderful collection of essays on mathematics is quite entertaining. I especially loved the essays on the Strasbourg Cathedral clock, the Statistics of Deadly Quarrels, and the Naming Names. The author does not simply "do scholarly research" to come up with his essays. For some of his essays, he actually performs a variety of mathematical calculations, computer simulations, and analyses to understand the topics.
January 21, 2018
This book does a good job of explaining new and interesting math concepts in a manner that is extremely accessible while not trying to dumb down the material too much. Indeed, I believe everyone could understand this book and actually feel like they've learned something by the end of it.
That said, I believe there is at least one book in this genre (pop math) that does a better job of explaining math in an accessible manner while still remaining technical, and that is "How Not to be Wrong," by Jordan Ellenberg. I would recommend that book over this one, but if you have the ability to read both, by all means please do, as the books cover radically different material.
That said, I believe there is at least one book in this genre (pop math) that does a better job of explaining math in an accessible manner while still remaining technical, and that is "How Not to be Wrong," by Jordan Ellenberg. I would recommend that book over this one, but if you have the ability to read both, by all means please do, as the books cover radically different material.
March 11, 2022
Tha author contributes/has contributed articles on Science and Mathematics in everyday like in magazines like American Scientist, Scientific American and the like. In this book, he uses computing and mathematics to explore diverse issues such as war and peace as well as frivolous activity of mattress flipping, randomness, fantastic clock at Strasbourg, poverty, geology, gear ratios, genetics and the like. Highly recommended reading for readers interested in this genre of books.
March 2, 2024
Light, verbose and a little lacking in substance. These somewhat fit as magazine articles, but reading them together in succession was exhausting. The essay on the genetic code was definitely the highlight for me; the ideas have stayed in my head a while and were truly fascinating. The other essays were interesting, but could have easily been compressed. Overall the book lacks the depth of maths I was expecting, even from a book aimed at the layman.
August 3, 2017
This book is a collection of essays applying various branches of mathematics to problems in everyday life. My favorite was the one on the determining where the continental divide is located. I never realized it wasn't the highest spots on the continent. I am only giving it three stars because the mathematical theory was often beyond me.
April 2, 2021
Exactly my kind of numerical navel-gazing. Some of it over my head, all of it fun. A collection of articles Hayes wrote for a science magazine in the early 2000s, some are esoteric, others lead to disturbing conclusions--the most sobering one for me reports various attempts to program a computer simulation of redistribution of societal wealth, which, um, never ends well.
August 24, 2017
Strong start, weak finish. Good essays.
January 9, 2022
Reminded me of why i love math...
July 25, 2019
One of the best, most clear set of reasons and reflections I’ve ever read. Everything he writes is brilliant.
March 11, 2017
The author of this book is really a genius. and by genius I mean a person who - as a good mathematician and programmer- is able to rethink a lot of problems in wonderful new points of view. And not only problems but almost everything, from the monthly routine of flipping a mattress to the covered beauty of an astronomical clock.
He is also really funny.
I really enjoyed this lecture. It reminds you to not get used to only a way of thinking and seeing things around you. Be brave. Just try not only new thing but also new way of thinking.
He is also really funny.
I really enjoyed this lecture. It reminds you to not get used to only a way of thinking and seeing things around you. Be brave. Just try not only new thing but also new way of thinking.
March 13, 2017
When I picked this book, I didn't expect to find a collection of essays. Nonetheless, the author didn't disappoint me. The last essay is much awaited "Group Theory in the Bedroom".
I would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of reading math textbook and instead want to just relax and play with simple maths.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of reading math textbook and instead want to just relax and play with simple maths.
May 27, 2014
One review of this book I've found explained it well: there are essays on lots of different topics, and nobody likes all of them. But I enjoyed most of them.
The author is a computer scientist and a mathematician, and his essays are thoughts on a grab-bag of different topics. Some is his own thoughts, some is library research. One very interesting chapter chronicles the period of time when scientists from many fields were trying to figure out what the genetic code was. Several ingenious codes were proposed, and nature's actual code turned out to be quite a kludge. Another essay discusses how clock makers calculate the required gear sizes and the numbers of teeth on each. Another on counting in base 3. Etc. The material is not too high-leveled, and the technical explanations are mostly pretty good.
The author is a computer scientist and a mathematician, and his essays are thoughts on a grab-bag of different topics. Some is his own thoughts, some is library research. One very interesting chapter chronicles the period of time when scientists from many fields were trying to figure out what the genetic code was. Several ingenious codes were proposed, and nature's actual code turned out to be quite a kludge. Another essay discusses how clock makers calculate the required gear sizes and the numbers of teeth on each. Another on counting in base 3. Etc. The material is not too high-leveled, and the technical explanations are mostly pretty good.
October 6, 2011
As it turns out, the sexy title of the book is actually a reference to...mattress flipping. That said, Hayes expertly shows how a computer, some paper, and good old fashioned thought can really lead to some neat insights on everything from mattress flipping to war. The essays are very lucid, and easy to read, even if you don't have a math background. The book is also full of graphs and charts that really clarify points he makes in the book. Some mathematicians may criticize it for it's lack of rigor, but the audience of the book is primarily those who don't have math PhD's. It also serves as powerful primers for the more esoteric math subjects, like group theory. This book is probably not for everyone, but if you have a healthy interest in math, it makes for some fine reading.
July 2, 2015
bit-player is a blog authored by Brian Hayes that I read occasionally. That's where I learnt about his latest book Group Theory In The Bedroom, And Other Mathematical Diversions. It's a compilation of 12 long essays he had written for the American Scientist magazine. Written for a general scientifically oriented audience, I found most of the chapters to be fun and interesting. Brian has the gift of making complex ideas easy to understand by using simple analogies. He also researches in-depth into the history behind the science, this is something I sorely miss in most math/science writing. The humans and their stories are just as important as their ideas. This book is an interesting read.
May 30, 2013
I'm not sure what the intended audience is for this book. I suppose it's for people who want something slightly more mathematically intense than Freakonomics or Malcolm Gladwell. That being said, unlike those books the subjects of the essays in this book are not terribly interesting or seemingly important (clocks, partitioning, the beauty of base 3). I guess these essays are to show the 'fun' side of mathematics, but really, is the mathematics of nomenclature that exciting?
The only essays that I liked were ones that showed how mathematicians went about solving problems/postulating theories and even that grew tiresome after a few chapters.
The only essays that I liked were ones that showed how mathematicians went about solving problems/postulating theories and even that grew tiresome after a few chapters.
January 8, 2014
About half of this book was beyond me, but the half I did get - I liked. The mathematical problems of designing a clock that can run forever and accurately account for leap years and determine the correct day for Easter for the rest of time and how to mathematically model a continental divide were interesting. Determining the optimal numbering system or the optimal way to flip a mattress, not so much for me. Worthwhile read to break up all that WWII and historical non-fiction reading, though.
March 7, 2011
A rambling collection of essays. The chapt are all quit different, with a smattering of fairly challenging mathematics, although not mufh of the form of equations. Being a non-mathematician, as interesting and non-mathematical the book topics were, the discussion on topics involved some pretty heavy maths.
The chapter on th analysis of wars and the chapter on generation of random numbers were most interesting. On the whole, quitqn enlighting book....definitely not to read in one sitting.
The chapter on th analysis of wars and the chapter on generation of random numbers were most interesting. On the whole, quitqn enlighting book....definitely not to read in one sitting.
August 29, 2008
(1) Excellent title, really. But of course one shouldn't judge a book by that (though that is why I picked it up)...
(2) It isn't a story, but a compilation of Brian Hayes's essays. Most of them are fascinating, a couple of them I couldn't focus on.
(3) Mathematical explanations of life and things you otherwise wouldn't connect between the life world and the mathematics world. Fun!
(2) It isn't a story, but a compilation of Brian Hayes's essays. Most of them are fascinating, a couple of them I couldn't focus on.
(3) Mathematical explanations of life and things you otherwise wouldn't connect between the life world and the mathematics world. Fun!
August 8, 2011
Best seen as reflections on how math finds its way into our lives. Not one to learn new concepts in topics never seen before. Great anecdotes, my favorite is actually on of the earlier essays on clock building and Y2K. These are collections from different articles that the author has previously published. They can be dry at times but also clever in their delivery.
March 10, 2012
Spoiler Warning. Interesting mathematical recreations ala Martin Gardner if you are into that kind of thing. Each chapter is from a different article and a wide range of topics are covered. The title comes from an article having to do with mathematical ways of determining how to periodically flip a mattress to get the best wear.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2012
It is a collection of very interesting articles, but I got annoyed with all of the introspection Brian adds to the end of each article. Is it so important that so-and-so thought x about the topic months later? On the other hand some aspects of the articles made me chuckle aloud on the bus, so in conclusion some parts are wordy and pedantic, other parts are witty and profound.
July 17, 2013
A set of essays on math. More about why math is in the world, and less about how math works.
Two essays especially appealed to me, one about the construction of a clock, the other about the number of teeth in a gear train. I design gears on my job, and these articles each had some ideas that I can directly apply.
Two essays especially appealed to me, one about the construction of a clock, the other about the number of teeth in a gear train. I design gears on my job, and these articles each had some ideas that I can directly apply.
July 24, 2015
The best thing for me about this book was not the content of the essays themselves, but the fact that it stimulated me to think about other mathematical ideas. It is hard to ask for more than that from any math book, but it would have been nice if the problems explored in the book could have been just a little more challenging.
June 16, 2008
Most of the essays in this book are really more about issues related to computing and computers than they are about mathematics, but they are well written and entertaining, and I definitely learned a few things. Hayes is a worthy successor to Martin Gardner and Douglas Hofstadter.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews