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Curves for the Mathematically Curious: An Anthology of the Unpredictable, Historical, Beautiful, and Romantic
Ten amazing curves personally selected by one of today's most important math writers
Curves for the Mathematically Curious is a thoughtfully curated collection of ten mathematical curves, selected by Julian Havil for their significance, mathematical interest, and beauty. Each chapter gives an account of the history and definition of one curve, providing a glimpse into the elegant and often surprising mathematics involved in its creation and evolution. In telling the ten stories, Havil introduces many mathematicians and other innovators, some whose fame has withstood the passing of years and others who have slipped into comparative obscurity. You will meet Pierre Bézier, who is known for his ubiquitous and eponymous curves, and Adolphe Quetelet, who trumpeted the ubiquity of the normal curve but whose name now hides behind the modern body mass index. These and other ingenious thinkers engaged with the challenges, incongruities, and insights to be found in these remarkable curves―and now you can share in this adventure.
Curves for the Mathematically Curious is a rigorous and enriching mathematical experience for anyone interested in curves, and the book is designed so that readers who choose can follow the details with pencil and paper. Every curve has a story worth telling.
Curves for the Mathematically Curious is a thoughtfully curated collection of ten mathematical curves, selected by Julian Havil for their significance, mathematical interest, and beauty. Each chapter gives an account of the history and definition of one curve, providing a glimpse into the elegant and often surprising mathematics involved in its creation and evolution. In telling the ten stories, Havil introduces many mathematicians and other innovators, some whose fame has withstood the passing of years and others who have slipped into comparative obscurity. You will meet Pierre Bézier, who is known for his ubiquitous and eponymous curves, and Adolphe Quetelet, who trumpeted the ubiquity of the normal curve but whose name now hides behind the modern body mass index. These and other ingenious thinkers engaged with the challenges, incongruities, and insights to be found in these remarkable curves―and now you can share in this adventure.
Curves for the Mathematically Curious is a rigorous and enriching mathematical experience for anyone interested in curves, and the book is designed so that readers who choose can follow the details with pencil and paper. Every curve has a story worth telling.
280 pages, Hardcover
Published October 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 7, 2022
One of the most interesting books I have ever read. Havil has a very clear and simple style of writing. He presented the history and definition of ten mathematical curves and the purpose of each. I was reading alot about these curves and its equations, but this book revealed the beauty of these equations. I loved the illustrating drawings and doodles in the book.
The book begain with a lovely doodle.
The book begain with a lovely doodle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2022
The author, a retired mathematics teacher, explores some curves of interest to him. The detail is heavy going in places. As a retired statistician I was most interested in the account of the discovery of the Normal Distribution. I was disappointed by the large number of misprints; for example, '30' for '20' in Table 4.1, the first five words duplicated in a book title on p. 53, errors in Latin titles on p. 114 and (no less than 3 times) p. 136, and two errors in a six-letter Greek word on p. 162. The last statistician named on p. 151, line 4, is surely John Tukey, not 'Turkey.' Did nobody check the proofs?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews