Letters to a young mathematician
By: Ian Stewart.
Publisher: Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group
Published: 2006
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 210
ISBN-13: 9780465082315
Subjects: Mathematics -- Miscellanea
Description: "Letters to a Young Mathematician tells readers what Ian Stewart wishes he had known when he was a student. He takes up subjects from the philosophical to the practical - what mathematics is and why it's worth doing, the relationship between logic and proof, the role of beauty in mathematical thinking, the future of mathematics, how to deal with the peculiarities of the mathematical community, and many others - in a style that combines subtle, easygoing humor with a talent for cutting to the heart of the matter"--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Why do math?; title: How I almost became a lawyer; title: The breadth of mathematics; title: Hasn't it all been done?; title: Surrounded by math; title: How mathematicians think; title: How to learn math; title: Fear of proofs; title: Can't computers solve everything?; title: Mathematical storytelling; title: Going for the jugular; title: Blockbusters; title: Impossible problems; title: The career ladder; title: Pure or applied?; title: Where do you get those crazy ideas?; title: How to teach math; title: The mathematical community; title: Pigs and pick-up trucks; title: Pleasures and perils of collaboration; title: Is God a mathematician?