Wonders of Numbers: Adventures in Mathematics, Mind, and Meaning

by Clifford A. Pickover

Who were the five strangest mathematicians in history? What are the ten most interesting numbers? Jam-packed with thought-provoking mathematical mysteries, puzzles, and games, Wonders of Numbers will enchant even the most left-brained of readers.

Hosted by the quirky Dr. Googol--who resides on a remote island and occasionally collaborates with Clifford Pickover-- Wonders of Numbers focuses on creativity and the delight of discovery. Here is a potpourri of common and unusual number theory problems of varying difficulty--each presented in brief chapters that convey to readers the essence of the problem rather than its extraneous history. Peppered throughout with illustrations that clarify the problems, Wonders of Numbers also includes fascinating "math gossip." How would we use numbers to communicate with aliens? Check out Chapter 30. Did you know that there is a Numerical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? You'll find it in Chapter 45.

From the beautiful formula of India's most famous mathematician to the Leviathan number so big it makes a trillion look small, Dr. Googol's witty and straightforward approach to numbers will entice students, educators, and scientists alike to pick up a pencil and work a problem.

Genres: Mathematics, Science, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Clifford Alan Pickover is an American author, editor, and columnist in the fields of science, mathematics, science fiction, innovation, and creativity. For many years, he was employed at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown, New York, where he was editor-in-chief of the IBM Journal of Research and Development. He has been granted more than 700 U.S. patents, is an elected Fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and is author of more than 50 books, translated into more than a dozen languages.

Reviews

[Zevi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty good. The only bad thing about Pickover is he reuses a lot of the same material from book to book. But this one has some interesting number tid bits and puzzles. If you like this one, check out the weird book 0.1361015212836455566789110512013615... by Jason Earls. He was influenced by Pickover a lot.

[Piyali Mukherjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the funniest and most approachable books to really advanced math concepts. My father made me read this book so that I would get over my fear of math tests, and I'm lucky that this book was my first brush with number theory and many other math topics.

[Suraj Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes you on a ride that is full of fun and adventures with some amazing games to interesting facts in the field of mathematics and logical thinking.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part book part puzzle anthology. I liked the hybrid of information and problem solving, I tried to solve a few but hey get really hard. :)

[Sergio Mira Jordán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una pequeña maravilla que, en ocasiones, sobre todo si eres un completo profano en asuntos matemáticos, te puede hacer echar humo del cerebro. Aun así, muy recomendable.

[Luisa Maria Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy avanzado en matemáticas para una lectura, esperaba algo más digerible

[Haleth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bella esposizione di quesiti ed enigmi matematici, abbordabile anche da chi ha visto per l'ultima volta una formula matematica ai tempi della scuola (leggi: la sottoscritta), e persino da quelli a cui insegnanti pigri o con poco tempo a disposizione hanno instillato senza volere l'odio per la matematica (leggi: sempre io).

La mia si potrebbe quasi definire una fobia per la matematica, della quale ho cercato di dimenticare con così tanto successo anche le poche cose che qualche professoressa era riuscita a cacciarmi a forza nel cranio, che forse oggi non sarei in grado di fare nemmeno una semplice equazione o una divisione in colonna. Perciò tanto di cappello all'autore se è riuscito a far capire (quasi) tutto il contenuto di questo libro anche a me.

E poi, diciamocelo: i matematici sono tipi simpatici. Come si può non farsi piacere gente che ti macera le sinapsi con l'algebra astratta o la topologia, ma che poi va a pescare i "numeri interi doppi dolcemente ondeggianti", o i "numeri schizofrenici"? XD


Voto: 8/10

[Enrique Oviedo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Libro a medio camino entre la divulgación matemática y una colección de acertijos sin atinar ni en un aspecto ni en otro.
La divulgación es simplemente enumerativa, sin explicar conceptos, por lo que aporta bien poco.
Como colección de acertijos tampoco es gran cosa: gran parte de ellos se basan en atacar problemas con ordenadores por fuerza bruta lo que no supone ningún desafío para el lector.
Además, la maquetación en esta edición tiene algunos errores en fórmulas por lo que, además, la lectura se vuelve confusa.
Recomiendo en su lugar cualquier libro de Martin Gardner.