Everybody knows that mathematics is indispensable to physics--imagine
where we'd be today if Einstein and Newton didn't have the math to back
up their ideas. But how many people realize that physics can be used to
produce many astonishing and strikingly elegant solutions in
mathematics? Mark Levi shows how in this delightful book, treating
readers to a host of entertaining problems and mind-bending puzzlers
that will amuse and inspire their inner physicist.
Levi turns math and physics upside down, revealing how physics can
simplify proofs and lead to quicker solutions and new theorems, and how
physical solutions can illustrate why results are true in ways lengthy
mathematical calculations never can. Did you know it's possible to
derive the Pythagorean theorem by spinning a fish tank filled with
water? Or that soap film holds the key to determining the cheapest
container for a given volume? Or that the line of best fit for a data
set can be found using a mechanical contraption made from a rod and
springs? Levi demonstrates how to use physical intuition to solve these
and other fascinating math problems. More than half the problems can be
tackled by anyone with precalculus and basic geometry, while the more
challenging problems require some calculus. This one-of-a-kind book
explains physics and math concepts where needed, and includes an
informative appendix of physical principles.
The Mathematical Mechanic will appeal to anyone interested in the
little-known connections between mathematics and physics and how both
endeavors relate to the world around us.
