The interest earned on a bank account, the arrangement of seeds in a sunflower, and the shape of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis are all intimately connected with the mysterious number e. In this informal and engaging history, Eli Maor portrays the curious characters and the elegant mathematics that lie behind the number. Designed for a reader with only a modest background in mathematics, this biography of e brings out that number's central importance in mathematics and illuminates a golden era in the age of science.
"e": The Story of a Number (Princeton Science Library)
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Until about 1975, logarithms were every scientist's best friend. They were the basis of the slide rule that was the totemic wand of the trade, listed in huge books consulted in every library. Then hand-held calculators arrived, and within a few years slide rules were museum pieces.
But e remains, the center of the natural logarithmic function and of calculus. Eli Maor's book is the only more or less popular account of the history of this universal constant. Maor gives human faces to fundamental mathematics, as in his fantasia of a meeting between Johann Bernoulli and J.S. Bach. e: The Story of a Number would be an excellent choice for a high school or college student of trigonometry or calculus. --Mary Ellen Curtin --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
From Library Journal
Everyone whose mathematical education has gone beyond elementary school is familiar with the number known as pi. Far fewer have been introduced to e, a number that is of equal importance in theoretical mathematics. Maor (mathematics, Northeastern Illinois Univ.) tries to fill this gap with this excellent book. He traces the history of mathematics from the 16th century to the present through the intriguing properties of this number. Maor says that his book is aimed at the reader with a "modest" mathematical background. Be warned that his definition of modest may not be yours. The text introduces and discusses logarithms, limits, calculus, differential equations, and even the theory of functions of complex variables. Not easy stuff! Nevertheless, the writing is clear and the material fascinating. Highly recommended.
- Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Many textbooks state very little or nothing about the background behind the history mathematics. Maor describes the thought processes of the mathematicians in such a way that one can appreciate Mathematics more. e: The Story of a Number speaks to a broad audience so that, regardless of your mathematical experience, you will understand mathematics better.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By G. MCKENNA
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not as good as the book the author is trying to emulate (Pi), but a good read nonetheless. Fascinating history, well written, easy to read, just enough math.
By Bookologist
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having read this book, I can say that the historical treatment was very interesting, putting flesh and bones to the finished product we all learn something about in Science and Engineering programs in school. The math for the most part was very easy to follow.
In the appendices, the proof of the constant angle between the radius and tangent for the logarithmic spiral is solved using complex numbers and conformal mapping. This is elegant in its simplicity but may be far from intuitive for many. An alternative method is to use rectangular coordinates with y = exp(a.theta)sin(theta), and x = exp(a.theta)cos(theta), and then expressing the tangent at a point on the curve with the derivative (dy/dtheta)/(dx/dtheta) and calling it tan(phi). The radius has angle theta, so we have tan(theta). Then we use the well-known identity for tan(phi - theta). Its a bit more lengthy but its also more intuitive to my way of thinking.
I found also, that the rectangular coordinate approach to the spiral length being equal to the tangential line segment from the tangent point to the vertical axis is a good alternative to the proof given in the appendices. It takes a bit more manipulation but is more intuitive for us with rectangular coordinate thinking. Its amazing how all the mess factors out when this approach is used.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book for those who would like to learn both the history, the significance, and the remarkable applications that spun out of this most important number we nowadays call "e". Many kudos to the author for stimulating my mind and making me aware of both the historical and the theoretical aspects of "e" that I never knew before. Well done!
In the appendices, the proof of the constant angle between the radius and tangent for the logarithmic spiral is solved using complex numbers and conformal mapping. This is elegant in its simplicity but may be far from intuitive for many. An alternative method is to use rectangular coordinates with y = exp(a.theta)sin(theta), and x = exp(a.theta)cos(theta), and then expressing the tangent at a point on the curve with the derivative (dy/dtheta)/(dx/dtheta) and calling it tan(phi). The radius has angle theta, so we have tan(theta). Then we use the well-known identity for tan(phi - theta). Its a bit more lengthy but its also more intuitive to my way of thinking.
I found also, that the rectangular coordinate approach to the spiral length being equal to the tangential line segment from the tangent point to the vertical axis is a good alternative to the proof given in the appendices. It takes a bit more manipulation but is more intuitive for us with rectangular coordinate thinking. Its amazing how all the mess factors out when this approach is used.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book for those who would like to learn both the history, the significance, and the remarkable applications that spun out of this most important number we nowadays call "e". Many kudos to the author for stimulating my mind and making me aware of both the historical and the theoretical aspects of "e" that I never knew before. Well done!
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievably Interesting, though last chapters are challengi
This is one of the best history of mathematics books I have read. It was comprehensive and easy to follow even for the uninitiated. Read more
Published on Jun 22 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magical Description of Natural Log and Math History
It would be a great side reading for Real Analysis and Multivariable Calculus class. The greatest wonder I had during the first half of Real Analysis (Rudin's book) class was... Read more
Published on Jan 10 2004 by finance guy
5.0 out of 5 stars
A story well told
I read the book several times. It is an easy reading book for a begining math major (like me).The author did a very good and kind job to us. Read more
Published on April 23 2003 by Sa Chen
4.0 out of 5 stars
the calculus dolt speaks
I am taking analytical geometry right now, and this book is a lot of what the course leaves out. Which is the why and what lead someone to do what they did, which makes for an... Read more
Published on Jun 24 2002 by Mark E Pavkov
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