You Are a Mathematician: A Wise and Witty Introduction to the Joy of Numbers

by David G. Wells

What is the largest number less than 1? If x and y are any of two different positive numbers, which is larger, x2 + y2 or 2xy? What do you get if you cross a cube and an octahedron? Discover the surprising answers as David Wells conclusively proves you Are a mathematician Praise for David Wells's The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Numbers. "This is a fascinating, strange, and probably unique book, one that I will look at again and again. As soon as I had taken a good look at it, I went out and bought three more copies to give to friends." —New Scientist. "David Wells's book about curious and interesting numbers is a quirky classic." —William Dunham Author, Journey Through Genius. Are you on friendly terms with numbers? You will be after reading this delightful introduction to the fascinating and challenging world of mathematics. Bestselling author David Wells, a Cambridge math scholar and former teacher, explores the many patterns, properties —and problems —associated with numbers in a witty, thoroughly engaging style that is both entertaining and informative. Whether you are a math aficionado or whether you, as the author puts it, "panic and start sweating at the sight of a sum," Wells makes one point abundantly You Are a Mathematician. From basic arithmetic to algebraic equations, from the purely practical to the abstract, this is an ideal guide to the potential and pleasures of math. Surprising patterns emerge from the simplest groupings of numbers. The many secrets hidden inside of triangles are revealed, as are the origins of a host of mathematical theories and principles, from Aristotle to Euclid and Galileo. On a journey from the ancient Greeks to quantum theory, Wells shares intriguing anecdotes from history, such as how eighteenth-century European military commanders calculated how many cannonballs their enemies had stacked up next to their cannons. David Wells invites us to discover the sense of wonder and fun that is so much a part of mathematics. Mathematical thinking is often very much like a game, relying on cunning tactics, deep strategy, and brilliant combinations as much as on observation, analogy, and informed guesswork. To illustrate, Wells includes over 100 brainteasing puzzles and problems, ranging from Ptolemy's theorem to Euler's famous solution to the Königsberg bridge problem and Koch's snowflake curve. Modern-day computer buffs will also enjoy the underground classic, the Game of Life, invented by Princeton mathematician John Conway. Offering a comprehensive and stimulating look at the myriad aspects of mathematics —whether as a household helper or an invaluable tool of science —You Are a Mathematician covers a wide range of topics and applications. It is an ideal guide to the potential and pleasures to be found in math.

Genres: Mathematics, Nonfiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published October 26, 1995

About the author

David Wells is a writer on mathematics and puzzles.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Praveen Yadav · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different refreshing look at mathematics.
Caution : You will need a pencil to go through it and also you might end up scribbling all over that book so make sure its not library property.

[Koen Crolla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most books in this genre, You Are a Mathematician attempts to communicate some of the joy mathematicians find in math, as well as how math is actually done, to a lay audience, and occasionally does a fair job of it.

One thing that bothered me about this book was the fact that Wells leaves a lot of details unexplained when they really shouldn't be. It's probably fine to assume people know basic trigonometry even in a book aimed at the complete layperson, but it's a bit silly to assume, for example, that people know why \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{\pi^2}{6}. He spends a few pages explaining where the 6 comes from, but completely neglects to explain the π².
Another is the intense focus on Euclidean geometry, probably because that's easy to illustrate and people like pictures. I imagine that for many people, though, this will just take them back to their middle school mathematics classes and remind them why they hated it in the first place. He ventures into other areas quite often, fortunately, though it's sometimes clear he doesn't have too firm a grasp on some of these areas, and he always takes it back to triangles and lines.

That aside, though, the book is certainly a treasure trove of mathematical trivia, even if much of it will probably already be known to the kind of person who reads pop sci books on mathematics.
The choose-your-own-adventure bit at the end of the book is probably the most interesting part of it; it demonstrates how a mathematician's train of thought can work and take him in vastly different directions based on which thread he pursues, on a level that's easily accessible to the interested layperson.

So, not the best book in its genre, but certainly not a bad one.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still trying to work my way through this book. My math skills aren't what they used to be as I haven't had any formal math classes in about half of my life. I'm trying to brush up on a few things, particularly on computer-based algebra systems.