A History of the Circle: Mathematical Reasoning and the Physical Universe - Couverture souple

Zebrowski, Ernest

 
9780813528984: A History of the Circle: Mathematical Reasoning and the Physical Universe
Couverture souple
ISBN 10 : 0813528984 ISBN 13 : 9780813528984
Editeur : Rutgers University Press, 2000

Synopsis

The concept of the circle is ubiquitous. It can be described mathematically, represented physically, and employed technologically. The circle is an elegant, abstract form that has been transformed by humans into tangible, practical forms to make our lives easier.

And yet no one has ever discovered a true mathematical circle. Rainbows are fuzzy; car tires are flat on the bottom, and even the most precise roller bearings have measurable irregularities. Ernest Zebrowski, Jr., discusses why investigations of the circle have contributed enormously to our current knowledge of the physical universe. Beginning with the ancient mathematicians and culminating in twentieth-century theories of space and time, the mathematics of the circle has pointed many investigators in fruitful directions in their quests to unravel nature's secrets. Johannes Kepler, for example, triggered a scientific revolution in 1609 when he challenged the conception of the earth's circular motion around the sun. Arab and European builders instigated the golden age of mosque and cathedral building when they questioned the Roman structural arches that were limited to geometrical semicircles.

Throughout his book, Zebrowski emphasizes the concepts underlying these mathematicians' calculations, and how these concepts are linked to real-life examples. Substantiated by easy-to-follow mathematical reasoning and clear illustrations, this accessible book presents a novel and interesting discussion of the circle in technology, culture, history, and science.

Les informations fournies dans la section « Synopsis » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

À propos de l'auteur

Ernest Zebrowski Jr. holds professorships in science and mathematics education at Southern University in Baston Rouge, and in physics at Pennsylvania College of Technology of the Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of Perils of a Restless Planet: Scientific Perspectives on Natural Disasters and several science textbooks.

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

Éditeur
Rutgers University Press
Date d'édition
2000
Langue
anglais
ISBN 10 
0813528984
ISBN 13 
9780813528984
Reliure
Broché
Nombre de pages
232
Coordonnées du fabricant
non disponible
Personne responsable
non disponible

Autres éditions populaires du même titre

9780813526775: A History of the Circle: Mathematical Reasoning and the Physical Universe

Edition présentée

ISBN 10 :  0813526779 ISBN 13 :  9780813526775
Editeur : Rutgers University Press, 1999
Couverture rigide