The Mathematical Tourist: New & Updated Snapshots of Modern Mathematics

by Ivars Peterson

In the first edition of The Mathematical Tourist , renowned science journalist Ivars Peterson took readers on an unforgettable tour through the sometimes bizarre, but always fascinating, landscape of modern mathematics. Now the journey continues in a new, updated edition that includes all the latest information on mathematical proofs, fractals, prime numbers, and chaos, as well as new material on

* the relationship between mathematical knots and DNA
* how computers based on quantum logic can significantly speed up the factoring of large composite numbers
* the relationship between four-dimensional geometry and physical theories of the nature of matter
* the application of cellular automata models to social questions and the peregrinations of virtual ants
* a novel mathematical model of quasicrystals based on decagon-shaped tiles

Blazing a trail through rows of austere symbols and dense lines of formulae, Peterson explores the central ideas behind the work of professional mathematicians-- how and where their pieces of the mathematical puzzle fit in, the sources of their ideas, their fountains of inspiration, and the images that carry them from one discovery to another.

Genres: Mathematics, Science, Nonfiction, Stem, Education

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable overview of maths in 1988 with a large section on fractals and topology which are still some of my pleasures.

The downside is leaving this unread and sitting there for twenty years! What has happened is that despite its interesting content it as become a bit dated especially in the computer science areas, while this is assuredly not the fault of the book it's from leaving it on the shelf too long.

[X · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. It had more on computers (using computers for mathematical calculations, proofs etc.) than I had expected. It had lots of neat mathematical concepts, but while it nicely explained some of the more basic algebraic terms, it often left me wondering about the more obscure things and computer terms.

[Jean-Luc · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are far, far too many books in the "Gee, I wish I had read this 10+ years ago.", and this is yet another one of those.

This book would be perfect for a high school student thinking about whether to major in math in college. It seems like most history of maths or maths survey books rerun the same stories over and over again, but I haven't seen the examples in this book anywhere else.

[Mark Desrosiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knots, shadows, slices, cells, snowflakes -- absolutely fascinating, and offered up to us geeks without dumbing the math down.

[JP · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting group of topics, but written to simply for the analytical and too obtusely for the novice.

[Alexander Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kind of wished I had the updated one. But, that said, this book is still an interesting and romanticized view of what a standard undergraduate mathematician might aspire to be interested in. This gives math a character that not many books could attempt. A mathematician might struggle to explain to one who has little experience the brilliance of studying therein. However, a beginning student might struggle to understand beyond the dry theorem, proof, theorem proof, pedagogy of junior and senior level math courses today.

This book manages to twist the emotion of it enough to give a clearer picture of the emotion a mathematician experiences when solving deeply complex problems. Unfortunately, it is a little dated, and the justification is not quite as satisfying to someone who has attempted or become aware of these problems. This might be a book for someone who has lost their way around their second or third year of a mathematics degree or completed one 10 years ago and never quite got back to it, but it is not for a beginner, nor someone who just got a mathematics degree. This audience is fairly limited.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite popular math book, but reasonable enough I suppose. I think I read the regular 'Snapshots' version, not the 'New and Updated'. All the same, I don't feel the need to rush out and see the 'New and Updated'.

The content was pretty decent, and it was well written, but I question the organization. Lumping linear programming in the chapter in topology stands out in my mind, with Penrose tilings in the chapter on cellular automata as a close second. I don't know a whole lot about linear programming, but it still feels wrong. Just make each section it's own essay, and it'd work out fine. Other than that, it was fine, though largely unexciting for me.

[Frank Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fairly enjoyable.

There was not a great deal of depth to any of the topics, which is a bit like sight seeing for the average tourist so it certainly suited the title.

However the content was very interesting and the topics did flow nicely from one to the next. I found this connectivity most satisfying as I progressed through the book.

[Keith Warne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights into some fascinating topics like big numbers and chaos theory.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a really fascinating explanation of several issues in contemporary mathematics, including fractals, number theory, knot theory, and dimensions higher than three. It can be hard to keep up with in places, and several times I'd spend most of my train ride trying to picture or puzzle out some specific shape or theory he was describing, but it's worth working your way through if the idea of reading a book about math sounds interesting to you. I thought the section on higher dimensions was particularly fascinating and got pretty wrapped up in a few of the other sections as well.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dated (this updated edition came out in 1998, and has been in my to-read pile for just about that long...), but definitely worth the read. It had a lot more about computers than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. It also gave me a lot of things to look further into, particularly cybermyrmecology, the study of virtual ants (I'm a nerd, what can I say?!?). This was an excellent survey of various topics in mathematics and computers, and I recommend it for anybody who is interested in exploring these topics further.

[Dogsandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

My version is the 1988 original, but the gr blurb is for an updated edition which has much more cool stuff--like all the complexity work. Even though I am quite tempted to run out and get the newer version I will continue slogging through this earlier version ---and regretting I did not read when I first purchased. No that's not true I was in no position to get it.
An excellent overview of many themes in contemporary math, ending with a summary: while math looks obvious and remote to outsiders, it is a messy human process of discovery with fits and starts

[James Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

He isn't quite an Isaac Asimov replacement as far as non-fiction topics, but I enjoyed this high-level overview of relatively current Math topics. I have always been intrigued by fractals and various other popular math topics, and he goes into a lot of detail here.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some interesting applicable content, but much of it focuses on advances in mathmatics made through computational technological advances, all of which are out of date by now!

[Steve Clark]

New York (1988)

[James Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often way over my head but fun!