The Most Beautiful Mathematical Formulas

by Lionel Salem, Frédéric Testard, Coralie Salem

A lighthearted tour through 49 of the most interesting and useful mathematical formulas ever derived
Now in paperback, this whimsical book reacquaints the reader with the pleasure of playing with numbers. Both entertaining and practical, it reaches a level of sophistication consistently high enough to make intelligent people think, but never aims so high that it is difficult to follow. Accompanying the formulas are over 70 amusing cartoons and diverting stories that point up how everyday events can lead to fundamental mathematical insights.
* Features 49 short, inviting chapters, written in simple, clear language
* Proves that math is fun, functional and accessible--not an arcane subject reserved for specialists
LIONEL SALEM (Paris, France) is an internationally renowned theoretical chemist at the University of Paris, and has an appointment to the world famous French National Research Center. FREDERIC TESTARD (Nice, France) is a mathematician at the University of Nice. CORALIE SALEM (Paris, France) is an artist/illustrator who provided the book's graphics.

Genres: Mathematics, Nonfiction, Science

141 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Lionel Salem is a former professor at the University of Paris-Sud and visiting professor at Harvard University. He is also the author of 'The Most Beautiful Mathematical Formulas' and 'Marvels of the Molecule'.

Reviews

[Achernar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointingly superficial.

The book wasn’t bad but I was looking for more in-depth commentary. Each consept gets only about one page and it’s really a shame because there would have been so much more that could have been said.

[Nilendu Misra · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think serious math is heavy weightlifting, this book is a great “body weight exercise”. Tickles the brain with one-page proof of 49 beautiful formulas. E.g., President James Garfield’s smart proof of Pythagorean Theorem (he was assassinated!) is just one of them. Great single summer afternoon read.

[Ana G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! As a math nerd with middling-to-none knowledge of the history or geometric interpretation of many fundamental formulas, this not only offered some fun, easy recap, but also contextualized things for me. I bet it'd be great for kids with any amount of interest in math.

[Osama Qandeel · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب لطيف تمنيت لو قرأته قبل 10 سنوات او أكثر

[Brian Sison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does well to highlight the beauty of mathematics. Ranging in complexity from elementary to highly specialized and arcane, it keeps a constsant feel of fun, educating entertainment. This book presents many great concepts, some in new (to me) ways. All in all, a good book. Better for math-nerds than non, but should still be accessible, even to the biggest of mathophobes.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 12 year old son is enjoying this book and it's usually hard to find a math related book he will enjoy.

[Cyncia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a lot to read, but I enjoyed the way it was written. This is not a book for learning Mathematics, it is a curious little piece of background to some formulas.