Think Like a Mathematician: Get to Grips with the Language of Numbers and Patterns

by Anne Rooney

Overview

Was mathematics invented or discovered? Why do we have negative numbers? How much math does a pineapple know?

Think Like a Mathematician will answer all your burning questions about mathematics, as well as some ones you never thought of asking! Whether you want to know about probability, infinity, or even the possibility of alien life, this book provides a fun and accessible approach to understanding all things mathematics - and more - in the context of everyday life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781398812802
Publisher:	Arcturus Publishing
Publication date:	04/01/2021
Series:	Think Like Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Anne Rooney has taught English at Cambridge and York Universities and was Royal Literary Fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge University from 2014-2016. She has written many books on science and technology and was short-listed for the ALCS Educational Writers' Award in 2015.

Adult
Anne Rooney has taught English at Cambridge and York universities and was Royal Literary Fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge University in 2014-16. She has written many books on science and technology, and was short-listed for the ALCS Educational Writers' Award in 2015.

Childrens
Anne Rooney writes on science and the history of science for children and adults. Her Dinosaur Atlas was shortlisted for the Royal Young People's Book Award 2018 and won the School Library Association Information Book Award (ages 7-12), 2018. She has been a Royal Literary Fund Fellow, most recently at Newnham College, University of Cambridge.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What is mathematics, really?
Chapter 1: You couldn't make it up-or did we?
Chapter 2: Why do we have numbers at all?
Chapter 3: How far can you go?
Chapter 4: How many is 10?
Chapter 5: Why are simple questions so hard to answer?
Chapter 6: What did the Babylonians ever do for us?
Chapter 7: Are some numbers too large?
Chapter 8: What use is infinity?
Chapter 9: Are statistics lies, damned lies or worse?
Chapter 10: Is that significant?
Chapter 11: How big is a planet?
Chapter 12: How straight is a line?
Chapter 13: Do you like the wallpaper?
Chapter 14: What's normal?
Chapter 15: How long is a piece of string?
Chapter 16: How right is your answer?
Chapter 17: Are we all going to die?
Chapter 18: Where are the aliens?
Chapter 19: What's special about prime numbers?
Chapter 20: What are the chances?
Chapter 21: When's your birthday?
Chapter 22: Is it a risk worth taking?
Chapter 23: How much mathematics does nature know?
Chapter 24: Is there a perfect shape?
Chapter 25: Are the numbers getting out of hand?
Chapter 26: How much have you drunk?