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42nd out of 145 books
—
20 voters
Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions #66)
The aim of this book is to explain, carefully but not technically, the differences between advanced, research-level mathematics, and the sort of mathematics we learn at school. The most fundamental differences are philosophical, and readers of this book will emerge with a clearer understanding of paradoxical-sounding concepts such as infinity, curved space, and imaginary n...more
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
November 28th 2002
by Oxford University Press, USA
(first published 2002)
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I tried. I puzzled. I failed. He lost me at approximately page 50. He did a great job of keeping the examples nice and simple ("How to throw a ball" etc.), and I started out being made to feel confident about my ability to comprehend this stuff - so it did the psychological work very well. I think the problem was that having said "it's easy!" he proceeded too quickly to mathematical notation (which he assumes the reader understands) instead of arguments in a verbal format, step by step. A lot of...more
The world of mathematics elicits many different emotions, from fear to reverence, from apprehension to fascination. On a surface this may seem surprising, since mathematics is supposed to deal rational thought, and should be as removed from emotional considerations as it gets. And yet, it is precisely this dispassionate rationality that makes those unaccustomed to mathematical thinking recoil, and those with a mathematical bend of mind rub their hands in glee. For the truth is, mathematical thou...more
For anyone who is interested in Mathematics and looking for a place to start, I can't think of a better pair of books than this one and G.H. Hardy's A Mathematician's Apology. Hardy's book does a good job of covering what it means to be a Mathematician on a personal level with some history thrown in, but in this book, in a pithy and competent (but never dry) style, Gowers covers the major concepts involved in doing Math and what it really means to work in Mathematics. Both are short and easily d...more
It's well known that some concepts in mathematics can be utterly mind-bending - concepts such as curved space, higher dimensional geometry, infinity, and more besides. To be able to work with any of these, you often need to let go of the urge to visualise something and instead settle for merely conceptualising it. You need, in other words, to feel comfortable thinking in a thoroughly abstract way. This book is an introduction to that way of thinking. It's not one of those books that joyously rec...more
I decided to read Tim Gowers's book when I personally met his doctoral advisor - professor Bollobás. It occured to me then that even the most prolific and successful mathematicians appear as nice and quite friendly people.
I was eager to unveil the mystery of mathematics & mathematicians. It was at the very end of the mentioned exquisite book that I realized the beauty and elegance of the discipline which the author compares to "the key to the universe".
I really enjoyed reading this work - li...more
I was eager to unveil the mystery of mathematics & mathematicians. It was at the very end of the mentioned exquisite book that I realized the beauty and elegance of the discipline which the author compares to "the key to the universe".
I really enjoyed reading this work - li...more
From other things I've read, pure mathematics certainly is based on building things up with axioms as Timothy Gowers describes it in Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction. Doing a quick read-through of the book, I didn't pay particular close attention to any of the maths examples, but general ideas about the philosophy of maths as well as important concepts about maths could still be absorbed reading this way.
A very short book that justifies it's title; a brief introduction to Mathematics. For someone who have done Mathematics beyond high school, it may not have much of value addition but being just a 2-3 hour read, it still worth a read.
Surprisingly disappointing. I can't imagine who this book is written for. Nothing new to people who knew anything about math, and not terribly interesting to people trying to learn something about math.
I generally find the "A Very Short Introduction" series to actually be quite good, with most of the volumes accomplishing exactly what they intend to by giving a good overall sense of a field of inquiry and its methods, or of the important elements of a given topic. Unfortunately, this volume did none of this very well. Many of the examples used to introduce to the reader to mathematical thinking are explained more clearly (and in a more engaging fashion) in Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh. In ge...more
I know too much math to get much out of this. On the other hand, it's nice to get a refresher overview of the subject.
I may look at buying a few more "Very Short Introduction" books.
I may look at buying a few more "Very Short Introduction" books.
Awesome. "What is math all about and how to do mathematicians think?" A Field Medalist answers this, thus producing a gem of brevity and exposition. You owe it to yourself to read it.
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started reading the book. But the book seemed to me very shallow and confused. There aren't a lot of new or interesting ideas in this book (at least to me) and I think the author wasn't sure about how to write a book about mathematics without actually dealing with 'real' math. My verdict: not recommended.
should probably have read this before starting college math. but a good reminder of what math is supposed to be about!
I like the Very Short Introductions, even though I knew most of this stuff anyway.
la mia recensione: http://xmau.com/notiziole/archives/00...
Very good read to give you an overview about mathematics and the basic problems and assumptions.
Quite an interesting book, definitely perfect for people interested in maths. Quite perfect for someone just beginning studying Mathematics and Further Mathematics at A-Level.
Excellent introduction to the world of mathematics.
Sep 04, 2009
Paintedbirdmusic
is currently reading it
Why am I reading this? I don't know.
Fun.
Long story short, I didn't really like this one. Gowers isn't a bad writer, but when all is said and done, this 'Introducution' is rather boring. It doesn't capture the imagination, and as far as math books are concerned, this quite simply isn't allowed. Don't bother with this one; if you want an engaging an accessible overview of mathematics, go pick up the far more interesting 'Language of Mathematics,' by Kieth Devlin.
A good introduction for the layperson about the principles of mathematics in a non technical way.
Ideal reading for high school maths students who wish to know more about the Why of the maths they do in school.
Ideal reading for high school maths students who wish to know more about the Why of the maths they do in school.
This book is a little gem for showing the appeal behind mathematics. It doesn't provide a practical education, but if you ever sat through math class thinking "why?", it will answer some questions.
This book presents an easily digestible summary of current mathematical topics, stressing the cultivation of abstract thought and generalization in problem solving.
كتاب جيد .. يعرض عليك أفكار أساسية جدًا في الرياضات لا تتعلمها في المدرسة
كل مهتم بالرياضيات عليه أن يبدأ بملخص مثل هذا حقيقة
كل مهتم بالرياضيات عليه أن يبدأ بملخص مثل هذا حقيقة
Impressively "real-mathsy" maths book. As the title suggests, short.
This is such a great little book on mathematics!
May 11, 2013
Maramero Farag
marked it as to-read
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Mar 11, 2012 10:36pm