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Seventeen Equations that Changed the World

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It is argued that improper use of the formula (and its descendants) contributed to the financial crisis.

Wir können froh sein, dass es neben uns Individuen, andere Individuen gibt, die uns diesen Glauben durch Bestätigung erhalten. I certainly hadn't appreciated the importance of Newton's development of calculus, which Stewart breezily points out led to "most of mathematical physics". None of these equations emerged in a vacuum, Stewart shows; each drew, in some way, on past equations and the thinking of the day. It is clear (it does a very good job of explaining the equations in words), and has a very good blend of history, technical explanation and examples.Weather is a classic example — a small change in atmospheric conditions on one day can lead to completely different weather systems a few days later, most commonly captured in the idea of a butterfly flapping its wings on one continent causing a hurricane on another continent . D. in Physics, I was familiar with all but one of these equations, but the author certainly broadens one's appreciation of the effects of these equations on the course of human history.

But the way these mathematical breakthroughs have contributed to human progress is seldom appreciated. The equations he provides us with are wonderful, fundamental ones that even someone with an interest in science alone, who only sees maths as a means to an end, can see are fascinating. Inevitably, to give the book real world interest, many of the equations are from science, and Stewart proves, if anything, better at getting across the science than he is the maths (probably because it is easier to grasp the point).He also uses an unnecessarily complex argument to put down the creationist argument that uses entropy to argue for divine intervention, as it's easiest to explain that you aren't dealing with a closed system, something he doesn't cover.

This observation, along with with Euler's solution to the Bridges of Konigsburg problem , paved the way to the development of topology, a branch of math essential to modern physics. I also always get really irritated with knot theory, as the first thing mathematicians do is say 'Let's join the ends up. History: The mathematicians Daniel Bournoulli and Jean D'Alembert were the first to describe this relationship in the 18th century, albeit in slightly different ways. James Clerk Maxwell transformed early experimental observations and empirical laws about magnetism and electricity into a system of equations for electromagnetism.He often refers to things in today's society that are relevant to the equation and its consequences. Since nowadays you can do an A level in Physics without studying calculus it seems that this book can only be aimed at undergraduate students or people who have studied these interesting areas. Stewart's explanation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and its ramifications were extremely lucid, and his discussion right on target. Important work by mathematicians Vladimir Arnold and Stephen Smale helped with the realization that chaos is a consequence of differential equations.

He explained that anyone can "appreciate the beauty and importance of equations without knowing how to solve them . The scope is vast, from Pythagoras through to the underpinnings of quantum theory, chaos and derivatives trading, taking in key scientific developments and their mathematical explanations along the way. For example, a right triangle drawn on the surface of a sphere need not follow the Pythagorean theorem.But I can imagine that for a non-math/science major, this book would be quite problematic and quite unclear. Ian Stewart is therefore being very brave writing a popular science book which explains the mathematical basis for our modern world, unashamedly focusing on the key equations themselves. Ich schreibe üblicherweise keine Rezension zu Büchern mehr, weil diese subjektiv sind und es zu viele Bücher gibt die lesenswert sind. From Newton's Law of Gravity to the Black-Scholes model used by bankers to predict the markets, equations, are everywhere - and they are fundamental to everyday life. But this does not limit the use of the equation a²+b² = c² because any triangle can be cut into two right-angled ones.

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