One of the world's most creative mathematicians finds the meaning of
mathematics in the kitchen in this "whimsical...rigorous and insightful"
(New York Times) book
What is math? How exactly does it work? And what do three siblings
trying to share a cake have to do with it? In How to Bake Pi, math
professor Eugenia Cheng provides an accessible introduction to the logic
and beauty of mathematics, powered, unexpectedly, by insights from the
kitchen. We learn how the bechamel in a lasagna can be a lot like the
number five, and why making a good custard proves that math is easy but
life is hard. At the heart of it all is Cheng's work on category theory,
a cutting-edge "mathematics of mathematics," that is about figuring out
how math works.
Combined with her infectious enthusiasm for cooking and true zest for
life, Cheng's perspective on math is a funny journey through a vast
territory no popular book on math has explored before. So, what is math?
Let's look for the answer in the kitchen.