Articles liés à Supermath: The Power of Numbers for Good and Evil

Supermath: The Power of Numbers for Good and Evil - Couverture rigide

Weltman, Anna

 
9781421438191: Supermath: The Power of Numbers for Good and Evil
Couverture rigide
ISBN 10 : 1421438194 ISBN 13 : 9781421438191
Editeur : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020

Synopsis

Explore the hidden powers of math that shape us, influencing everything from our sense of justice to our perception of beauty.

Archaeologists decoding ancient messages. Epidemiologists analyzing the spread of a contagious disease. African Americans seeking full enfranchisement in a society that has worked to exclude them. A family doing puzzles at the kitchen table. These scenarios seem to have little in common. But in fact, each of these groups is faced with a multifaceted challenge--and each is using math to solve it.

In Supermath, popular author and educator Anna Weltman showcases the incredible power of mathematics when people apply it outside of the world of pure numbers, introducing it into the realms of science, politics, history, education, and art. Her stories share how math has protected us from war and disease, helped us communicate across time and space, and made the world a fairer and more beautiful place. But Weltman also warns us that dangers arise when the transformative might of numbers goes unchecked. Mathematics has been used to mistranslate records, silence indigenous communities, create gerrymandered voting districts, close the gates of higher education. Sometimes, math can blind those who wield it to its limitations, causing those who would deploy it to solve problems to instead create more.

Drawing on history and current events, Weltman tackles five fascinating questions: Is math the universal language? Can math eliminate bias? Can math predict the next move? Can math open doors? And finally, What is genuine beauty? Supermath is an enlightening book that pursues complex lines of mathematical thought while providing a fascinating lens into global problems and human culture as a whole.

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À propos de l'auteur

Anna Weltman is a math teacher and writer who earned her PhD in mathematics education from the University of California at Berkeley. She is the author of This Is Not a Math Book and This Is Not Another Math Book.

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

Éditeur
Johns Hopkins University Press
Date d'édition
2020
Langue
anglais
ISBN 10 
1421438194
ISBN 13 
9781421438191
Reliure
Relié
Nombre de pages
240
Coordonnées du fabricant
non disponible
Personne responsable
non disponible