A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. ), When Least Is Best: How Mathematicians Discovered Many Clever Ways to Make Things as Small (or as Large) as Possible, ( An incomparable collection of stimulating math puzzles from bestselling author Paul NahinWhat does quilting have to do with electric circuit theory? Follow to get new release updates and improved recommendations. Er schrieb auch über Zeitreisen, Science-Fiction und Religion, eine Biographie von Oliver Heaviside und Science-Fiction-Kurzgeschichten für die Zeitschriften Analog, Omni und Twilight Zone. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula is accessible to any reader familiar with calculus and differential equations, and promises to inspire mathematicians for years to come. He received the 2017 Chandler Davis Prize for Excellence in Expository Writing in Mathematics and, in 1979, the first Harry Rowe Mimno writing award from the IEEE Areospace and Electronic Systems Society. be).". who would profit from dubious 'military paper-pushing' (whatever its From medieval writings to the development of modern calculus to the current field of optimization, Nahin tells the story of Dido's problem, Fermat and Descartes, Torricelli, Bishop Berkeley, Goldschmidt, and more. In his characteristic style, Nahin brings the problems to life with interesting and odd historical anecdotes. 164 Roaming through a diverse range of puzzles, he illustrates how physics shows us ways to wring more energy from renewable sources, to measure the gravity in our car garages, to figure out which of three light switches in the basement controls the light bulb in the attic, and much, much more. Please try your request again later. Office: Electrical & Computer Eng Dept, Kingsbury Hall, Durham, NH 03824. Nahin schrieb mehrere populärwissenschaftliche Bücher über Mathematik, die teilweise Bestseller wurden. Writing about time travel is, today, a respectable business. Historical anecdotes woven throughout the book bring alive the circumstances and people involved in some amazing discoveries and achievements.More than a puzzle book, this work will immerse you in the delights of scientific history while honing your math skills. ZAlerts allow you to be notified by email about the availability of new books according to your search query. The mathematical subjects range from algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus to differential equations, Fourier series, and theoretical and Monte Carlo probability. Games of Russian roulette, problems involving the accumulation of insects on flypaper, and strategies for determining the odds of the underdog winning the World Series all reveal intriguing dimensions to the workings of probability. Paul J. Nahin (* 26. See all books authored by Paul J. Nahin, including An Imaginary Tale: The Story of i [the square root of minus one], and When Least Is Best: How Mathematicians Discovered Many Clever Ways to Make Things as Small (or as Large) as Possible, and more on ThriftBooks.com. Problems build from relatively easy (deciding whether a dishwasher who breaks most of the dishes at a restaurant during a given week is clumsy or just the victim of randomness) to the very difficult (tackling branching processes of the kind that had to be solved by Manhattan Project mathematician Stanislaw Ulam). (The image at the right is of the author's wonderful cat, Tigger, who has been rendered senseless after reading the stunning prose of one of the author's books-in-progress. roaring Most recently, HOT MOLECULES & COLD ELECTRONS (on the application of Fourier's heat equation to the theory of the Atlantic Cable) was published by Princeton in Spring 2020. E molte altre curiose domande di probabilità, Time travel: a writer's guide to the real science of plausible time travel, When Least Is Best: How Mathematicians Discovered Many Clever Ways to Make Things as Small, Imaginary Tale: The Story of Square Root Minus One, Ebrary, Incorporated [distributor, Princeton University Press. , Hot Molecules, Cold Electrons: From the Mathematics of Heat to the Development of the Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cable, ( but those from the California Institute of Technology in 1963, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine in 1972. As of 2004[update], Nahin is an emeritus professor of electrical engineering at the University of New Hampshire. It hasn’t always been so. Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula shares the fascinating story of this groundbreaking formula—long regarded as the gold standard for mathematical beauty—and shows why it still lies at the heart of complex number theory. More stimulating math puzzles from best-selling author Paul Nahin. Year: 1998. Why do soap bubbles have a shape that gives them the least area? ), How to Fall Slower Than Gravity: And Other Everyday (and Not So Everyday) Uses of Mathematics and Physical Reasoning, ( Time Machine Tales includes new discussions of the advances by physicists and philosophers that have appeared since the publication of TIME MACHINES in 1999, examples of which are the chapters on time travel paradoxes. The solutions are presented here in detail, and many contain a profound element of surprise. Published by the Princeton University Press. This story was recently reprinted in Nahin's book Number Crunching, which also mentions this Website (and the fact that I originally misinterpreted the story, prompting him to send me the message quoted above). What will rainbows look like in the future? Just as in his other books of mathematical puzzles, Nahin discusses the historical background of each problem, gives many examples, includes MATLAB codes, and provides complete and detailed solutions at the end.Mrs. Wells to Isaac Asimov to Ursula K. Le Guin, time travel has long been a favorite topic and plot device in tales of science fiction and fantasy. The questions raised may seem impossible to answer at first and may require an unexpected twist in reasoning, but sometimes their solutions are surprisingly simple. I simply used the unsuspected 25 Er ist Professor Emeritus für Elektrotechnik an der University of New Hampshire. He has published a couple dozen short science fiction stories in ANALOG, OMNI, and TWILIGHT ZONE magazines, and has written 22 books on mathematics and physics, published by IEEE Press, Springer, and the university presses of Johns Hopkins and Princeton. If only real humans were so blessed. Contact Us. According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one. Nahin begins with simpler problems and progresses to more challenging questions, and his entertaining, accessible, and scientifically and mathematically informed explanations are all punctuated by his trademark humor. he Laser BMD and Other Radiant Energy Weapons: Some Thoughts, “The field of interest shall be the organization, systems engineering, design, development, integration, and operation of complex systems for space, air, ocean, or ground environments. This site is created, maintained, and managed by Conference Catalysts, LLC. take-off on Paul Nahin was born in California, and did all his schooling there (Brea-Olinda High 1958, Stanford BS 1962, Caltech MS 1963, and - as a Howard Hughes Staff Doctoral Fellow - UC/Irvine PhD 1972, with all degrees in electrical engineering). Digital Dice will appeal to anyone who enjoys popular math or computer science. Perkins's Electric Quilt will appeal to students interested in new math and physics applications, teachers looking for unusual examples to use in class—and anyone who enjoys popular math books.