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My Brain is Open: The Mathematical Journeys of Paul Erdős
Paul Erdős, one of the greatest mathematicians of the twentieth century, and certainly the most eccentric, was internationally recognized as a prodigy by age seventeen. Hungarian-born Erdős believed that the meaning of life was to prove and conjecture. His work in the United States and all over the world has earned him the titles of the century's leading number theorist and the most prolific mathematician who ever lived. Erdős's important work has proved pivotal to the development of computer science, and his unique personality makes him an unforgettable character in the world of mathematics. Incapable of the smallest of household tasks and having no permanent home or job, he was sustained by the generosity of colleagues and by his own belief in the beauty of numbers.
Witty and filled with the sort of mathematical puzzles that intrigued Erdős and continue to fascinate mathematicians today, My Brain Is Open is the story of this strange genius and a journey in his footsteps through the world of mathematics, where universal truths await discovery like hidden treasures and where brilliant proofs are poetry.
Witty and filled with the sort of mathematical puzzles that intrigued Erdős and continue to fascinate mathematicians today, My Brain Is Open is the story of this strange genius and a journey in his footsteps through the world of mathematics, where universal truths await discovery like hidden treasures and where brilliant proofs are poetry.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 46 reviews
March 29, 2011
Paul Erdős (pronounced air-dish) was a famous, eccentric and highly prolific mathematician who authored many hundreds of papers in collaboration with hundreds of other mathematicians. His name was unfamiliar to me until I read this xkcd cartoon, which makes an inside joke about Erdős Numbers, which are similar to links in the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game - they describe a mathematician's "collaborative distance" from Erdős.
This is a short book, and not so much a biography of Erdős as a collection of anecdotes about his interactions with the community of great 20th-century mathematicians. It's also full of descriptions of the mathematical concepts that fascinated Erdős, related in terms understandable to anyone with high school algebra. So this is a book for laymen, not mathematicians, who will be bored because they are probably already familiar with topics such as Pythagoras's proof that the square root of 2 is irrational, and the friendship theorem (or party problem), and Cantor's diagonal argument.
Not being a mathematician myself, I found the book informative and entertaining. I must admit, though, that I don't quite understand the endless fascination with prime numbers - how many there are, how far apart they are, how many even numbers must exit between them, how many integers in a certain range must be "relatively" prime, etc.
This is a short book, and not so much a biography of Erdős as a collection of anecdotes about his interactions with the community of great 20th-century mathematicians. It's also full of descriptions of the mathematical concepts that fascinated Erdős, related in terms understandable to anyone with high school algebra. So this is a book for laymen, not mathematicians, who will be bored because they are probably already familiar with topics such as Pythagoras's proof that the square root of 2 is irrational, and the friendship theorem (or party problem), and Cantor's diagonal argument.
Not being a mathematician myself, I found the book informative and entertaining. I must admit, though, that I don't quite understand the endless fascination with prime numbers - how many there are, how far apart they are, how many even numbers must exit between them, how many integers in a certain range must be "relatively" prime, etc.
June 17, 2011
I started reading this when my husband decided to go back to school for first a masters and then a PhD in mathematics. He's now a mathematics professor.
May 1, 2017
3.5 stars truthfully. While this is a short book on the long and laborious life of the eccentric Paul Erdős, it does highlight his imaginative mind and his love of mathematics. It begins with the familiar account of a child (epsilon) prodigy who has an appetite for mathematics and their extreme calculating abilities. His love for mathematics began early and never ceases throughout his life.
Paul had the most collaborative history of any mathematician up to that point. The book highlights his many collaborations and only briefly outlines some of the rudimentary problems that he devoted his time to. A reader of Erdős looking for a more detailed account of his mathematics should seek out the multi volume collection of works published shortly after his death in 1996. This book is for the reader who is seeking a brief account of his life without being to technical. I would have liked a more rigorous book, but that's me.
In short, if you want to read about a man who traveled the world, never staying in one place for work or friends or family and is enamored with the pursuit of mathematical truth, then I can recommend this book. I can also recommend the more personal documentary, N is a Number which showcases his eccentric way of living. Erdős was the most prolific of any mathematician and one of the most free human beings the sciences had ever seen; an absolute rarity the world was glad to have.
Paul had the most collaborative history of any mathematician up to that point. The book highlights his many collaborations and only briefly outlines some of the rudimentary problems that he devoted his time to. A reader of Erdős looking for a more detailed account of his mathematics should seek out the multi volume collection of works published shortly after his death in 1996. This book is for the reader who is seeking a brief account of his life without being to technical. I would have liked a more rigorous book, but that's me.
In short, if you want to read about a man who traveled the world, never staying in one place for work or friends or family and is enamored with the pursuit of mathematical truth, then I can recommend this book. I can also recommend the more personal documentary, N is a Number which showcases his eccentric way of living. Erdős was the most prolific of any mathematician and one of the most free human beings the sciences had ever seen; an absolute rarity the world was glad to have.
August 6, 2015
It's always amazing to me how many relatively unknown people have had profound effects upon society and the way we live today. Paul Erdős is one of those people, and this book helps to explain him, his life, and contributions. Erdős may have been a bit eccentric, but in Schechter's hands, he comes across as a fascinating man who truly loved mathematics, learning, and collaboration. If I was in charge, drug-abusing athletes, Paris Hilton, and the Kardashians would not be lauded as celebrities; instead we would celebrate Paul Erdős, Claude Shannon, Alan Turing, Karl Landsteiner, and Joseph Lister. This book is an interesting read about a very interesting human being.
June 16, 2010
Mainly a catalogue of anecdotes about an influencial genius who was additionally a truly humble and generous man. A sensible and balanced amount of mathematical content for a book of this nature.
Not in the same league as, say, "A Beautiful Mind" (about the mathematician John Nash).
Not in the same league as, say, "A Beautiful Mind" (about the mathematician John Nash).
July 22, 2010
I found it interesting to read about Paul Erdos. He's quite the personality! Sometimes when the author would get into all the math, it was too much thinking for me. And I have a relatively extensive background in math. So for someone unsure of their math, be prepared to skip some parts.
August 6, 2011
a great book about an amazing mathematician that i'd never heard of. he was as brilliant as he was eccentric. i'm not big on biographies, but this one was really entertaining with great anecdotes and easy-to-understand explanations
June 2, 2012
A surprisingly great read. Erdos was truly eccentric, but a great human being. I never realized he even existed until this book unfolded his life story to me. If you love math, and interesting people who spend their lives entangled with math's enigmatic charms, this is a book for you.
September 12, 2007
Erdos is pronounced something like ' air - dish '
November 13, 2009
the story of a great mathematician, very well narrated.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 46 reviews