Spirals: From Theodorus to Chaos

by Philip J. Davis, Walter Gautschi, Arieh Iserles

In this introduction to From Theodorus to Chaos, Phil Davis writes, To me, mathematics has always been more than its form, or its content, its logic, its strategies, or its applications. Mathematics is one of the greatest of human intellectual experiences, and as such merits and requires a rather liberal approach. He takes just such an approach in this book inspired by the Hedrick Lectures of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Mathematical Association of America. Although loosely organized around the study of a difference equation that Davis dubs Theodorus of Cyrene, the book takes us on an eclectic whirlwind tour of history, philosophy, anecdote and, of course, mathematics. Incorporating the old and the new, the proved and the conjectural, Davis examines Theodorus in light of the mathematical concerns that have grown and changed over the part twenty-five hundred years. His tale will undoubtedly fascinate mathematics lovers of all levels.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993