The Mathematical Century: The 30 Greatest Problems of the Last 100 Years
"Odifreddi's overview is of course a personal one, but it is hard to argue with either his choices or his organization. This is a perfect handle on an otherwise bewildering proliferation of ideas."--Ben Longstaff,New Scientist"Odifreddi clearly and concisely describes important 20th-century developments in pure and applied mathematics. . . . Unlike similar volumes, this book keeps descriptions general and contains a short section on the philosophical foundations of mathematics to help non-mathematicians easily navigate the material."--Library Journal"This is an astonishingly readable, succinct, and wonderful account of twentieth-century mathematics! It is a great book for mathematics majors, students in liberal-arts courses in mathematics, and the general public. I am amazed at how easily the author has set out the achievements in a broad array of mathematical fields. The writing appears effortless."--Paul Campbell,Mathematics Magazine"Piergiogio Odifreddi's book successfully portrays the major developments in 20th century mathematics by an examination of the mathematical problems that have gained prominence during the past 100 years. . . . [T]he literary style is such that the contents are made accessible to a very wide readership, but with no hint of oversimplification."--P.N. Ruane,MathDL"Odifreddi . . . has an engaging and effective style and a knack for compact but comprehensible summaries, making his presentation seem effortless.The Mathematical Centurycan be dabbled in, read through, or perhaps even used as a quick reference."--Danny Yee,Danny Reviews