The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved: How Mathematical Genius Discovered the Language of Symmetry - Couverture souple

Livio, Mario

 
9780743258210: The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved: How Mathematical Genius Discovered the Language of Symmetry
Couverture souple
ISBN 10 : 0743258215 ISBN 13 : 9780743258210
Editeur : Simon & Schuster, 2006

Synopsis

What do Bach's compositions, Rubik's Cube, the way we choose our mates, and the physics of subatomic particles have in common? All are governed by the laws of symmetry, which elegantly unify scientific and artistic principles. Yet the mathematical language of symmetry-known as group theory-did not emerge from the study of symmetry at all, but from an equation that couldn't be solved.

For thousands of years mathematicians solved progressively more difficult algebraic equations, until they encountered the quintic equation, which resisted solution for three centuries. Working independently, two great prodigies ultimately proved that the quintic cannot be solved by a simple formula. These geniuses, a Norwegian named Niels Henrik Abel and a romantic Frenchman named Évariste Galois, both died tragically young. Their incredible labor, however, produced the origins of group theory.

The first extensive, popular account of the mathematics of symmetry and order, The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved is told not through abstract formulas but in a beautifully written and dramatic account of the lives and work of some of the greatest and most intriguing mathematicians in history.

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À propos de l?auteur

Mario Livio is an internationally known astrophysicist, a bestselling author, and a popular speaker who has appeared on The Daily Show, 60 Minutes, and NOVA. He is the author of the bestsellers The Golden Ratio, Brilliant Blunders, and Galileo. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

Éditeur
Simon & Schuster
Date d'édition
2006
Langue
anglais
ISBN 10 
0743258215
ISBN 13 
9780743258210
Reliure
Broché
Nombre de pages
368
Coordonnées du fabricant
non disponible
Personne responsable
Simon and Schuster Netherlands BV
info@simonandschuster.nl

Herculesplein 96
Utrecht
3584 AA
Pays-Bas

Autres éditions populaires du même titre

9780743258203: The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved: How Mathematical Genius Discovered The Language Of Symmetry

Edition présentée

ISBN 10 :  0743258207 ISBN 13 :  9780743258203
Editeur : Simon & Schuster, 2005
Couverture rigide