Why Does Math Work ... If It's Not Real?

by Dragan Radulović

According to G. H. Hardy, the 'real' mathematics of the greats like Fermat and Euler is 'useless,' and thus the work of mathematicians should not be judged on its applicability to real-world problems. Yet, mysteriously, much of mathematics used in modern science and technology was derived from this 'useless' mathematics. Mobile phone technology is based on trig functions, which were invented centuries ago. Newton observed that the Earth's orbit is an ellipse, a curve discovered by ancient Greeks in their futile attempt to double the cube. It is like some magic hand had guided the ancient mathematicians so their formulas were perfectly fitted for the sophisticated technology of today. Using anecdotes and witty storytelling, this book explores that mystery. Through a series of fascinating stories of mathematical effectiveness, including Planck's discovery of quanta, mathematically curious readers will get a sense of how mathematicians develop their concepts.

Genres: Mathematics

166 pages, Paperback

Published June 8, 2023

About the author

Dragan Radulović je rođen 1969. godine na Cetinju, inače je Budvanin. Osnovnu školu je pohađao u Budvi, a gimnaziju u Beogradu, gdje je diplomirao filozofiju na Filozofskom fakultetu. Objavio je zbirku kratkih pripovjedaka „Petrifikacija“ (2001), roman „Auschwitz Café“ (2003), katalog groteski „Vitezovi ništavila ili Đavo u tranzicionom Disneylandu “(2005), zbirku pripovjedaka „Splav Meduze“ (2007) i dramu „Pejzaž do pakla ili propast kuće Marinkovića“ (2011). Dobitnik je nagrade za književnost „Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša“ 2009. godine. Proza mu je prevođena na engleski, švedski, ruski, slovenački, mađarski, italijanski i njemački jezik. Predaje filozofiju u Srednjoj školi Danilo Kiš u Budvi, član je PEN centra Crne Gore i predsjednik Matice crnogorske.