The great book of nature, said Galileo, can be read only by those who
know the language in which it was written. And this language is
mathematics. In The Language of Mathematics, award-winning author
Keith Devlin reveals the vital role mathematics plays in our eternal
quest to understand who we are and the world we live in. More than just
the study of numbers, mathematics provides us with the eyes to recognize
and describe the hidden patterns of life--patterns that exist in the
physical, biological, and social worlds without, and the realm of ideas
and thoughts within.
Taking the reader on a wondrous journey through the invisible universe
that surrounds us--a universe made visible by mathematics--Devlin shows
us what keeps a jumbo jet in the air, explains how we can see and hear a
football game on TV, allows us to predict the weather, the behavior of
the stock market, and the outcome of elections. Microwave ovens,
telephone cables, children's toys, pacemakers, automobiles, and
computers--all operate on mathematical principles. Far from a dry and
esoteric subject, mathematics is a rich and living part of our culture.
An exploration of an often woefully misunderstood subject, The Language
of Mathematics celebrates the simplicity, the precision, the purity,
and the elegance of mathematics.
