What can we learn from fish in a pond? How do social networks connect the world? How can artificial intelligences learn? Why would life be different in a mirror universe?
Mathematics is everywhere, whether we are aware of it or not. Exploring the subject through 35 of its often odd and unexpected applications, this book provides an insight into the 'hidden wiring' that governs our world.
From the astonishing theorems that control computers to the formulae behind stocks and shares, and from the foundations of the internet to the maths behind medical imaging, Chaotic Fishponds and Mirror Universes explains how mathematics determines every aspect of our lives - right down to the foundations of our bodies.
Dr Richard Elwes is a writer, teacher and researcher in Mathematics and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Leeds. He contributes to New Scientist and Plus Magazine and publishes research on model theory. Dr Elwes is a committed popularizer of mathematics, which he regularly promotes at public lectures and on radio.
Author(s): Richard Elwes
Edition: 1
Publisher: Quercus
Year: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 562
City: London
Tags: Science & Math - Mathematics - Research
CONTENTS
Introduction
Knowing me, knowing you
The mathematical hierarchies of knowledge
An average chapter
Mathematical definitions of the typical
Atomic networks and chemical trees
Chemical graph theory and the make-up of molecules
All-conquering algorithms
The backbone of the computer age
Getting a proper perspective
Projective geometry and the world of art
Our pixellated planet
The mathematics of digital photography
The dynamic solar system
The mathematics of planetary motion
Creating electronic brains
The mathematics of machine learning
Untangling the stuff of life
The mathematics of DNA
Ballot box paradox
The mathematics of elections
Our CGI world
Triangulation and computer-generated imagery
Mirrors and molecules
The (a) symmetries of the universe
Syphilis and Christmas lights
The mathematics of group-testing
The chaos in the fishpond
The untidy growth of populations
The rise of homo economicus
The mathematical basis of decision theory
The hole story
The shapes of the universe
Rain or shine?
The mathematics of weather forecasting
Smoke and mirrors
Statistical illusions and numerical mirages
Where are we?
GPS geometry and Einstein’s explorations
More bang for your buck
Optimizing the world
Our electronic friends
The mathematics of social networks
Tea-tasting and trials
The mathematics of significance
The calm at the eye of the storm
Fixed points and the nature of equilibrium
One small step …
The mathematics of space travel
Tulip bubbles and hedge funds
Futures, options and the ups and downs of markets
Teacher troubles
The tricky world of timetables
Let there be light
The extraordinarily useful geometry of optics
The battle against disease
Mathematical models and the spread of infection
Wave-worlds
The mathematics of sound and light
Search-engine society
The algorithm behind Google’s PageRank
Hold the line, please!
The mathematics of queues
Avoiding bad language
Correcting mistakes in digital communication
Automata and articulation
The mathematics of robot movement
Hot stuff
The mathematics of energy and entropy
The perils of paradox
Type theory and programming
