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The Mathematical Universe: An Alphabetical Journey Through the Great Proofs, Problems, and Personalities

Posted By: thingska
The Mathematical Universe: An Alphabetical Journey Through the Great Proofs, Problems, and Personalities

The Mathematical Universe: An Alphabetical Journey Through the Great Proofs, Problems, and Personalities by William Dunham
English | July 28, 1994 | ISBN: 0471536563, 0471176613 | 311 Pages | DJVU | 13.9 MB

"Dunham writes for nonspecialists, and they will enjoy his piquant anecdotes and amusing asides" – Booklist

"Artfully, Dunham conducts a tour of the mathematical universe. . . he believes these ideas to be accessible to the audience he wants to reach, and he writes so that they are." – Nature

"If you want to encourage anyone's interest in math, get them The Mathematical Universe."
– New Scientist

I first read this book a number of years ago and recently read it again. I still think it is a magnificent overview of basic mathematics. In fact, it is one of the best overviews of basic mathematics that I have ever read. Dunham covers a wide range of topics and he does so in a very readable and understandable manner without giving up reasonable mathematical rigor. Someone with elementary algebra and geometry can follow all of Dunham's arguments and enjoy.
Of course, it is impossible to cover the entire range of mathematics in a book such as this but Dunham has chosen well. He sticks mainly to the fundementals of the major fields. In addition, his book reminds us that people with personalities have developed mathematics and that it's not a field created merely to strike fear into the hearts of schoolkids (and adults).
This book will always hold a special place for me: it was the catalyst for an epiphany. I had been teaching high school geometry for a few years when this book came out and I was very good at teaching the modern methods of proof and problem-solving. On the other hand, I didn't really like teaching constructions, because, though I could do them quite well, I didn't truly understand their place and function in geometry and its development. When I first read chapter "G" of this book ("Greek Geometry"), however, it was like a thousand puzzle pieces fell into place and I knew more than how to do constructions, I understood them and was able to teach them more effectively.
If you have any interest in mathematics at all, I recommend this book. It will not disappoint.