Big Questions: Mathematics (eBook)

The Big Questions series answers the fundamental problems that have perplexed enquiring minds throughout history. Ranging from the first known numbers and Plato's ideal forms to chaos theory and Fermat's last theorem, this book confronts the 20 key questions at the heart of mathematics and our understanding of the world. What is mathematics for? How big is infinity? Is mathematics even true? Can maths guarantee riches? Do butterflies' wings really cause hurricanes? Where do parallel lines meet? Can we create an unbreakable code? Is there a formula for everything? What shape is the universe? Can maths predict the future? Where do numbers come from? What is the maths of nature? Are imaginary numbers real? How is mathematics beautiful? Which are the strangest numbers? What are three dimensions not enough? What is symmetry? Why are prime numbers atoms? Are statistics lies? Is there anything left to solve?

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The Big Questions series is designed to let renowned experts address the 20 most fundamental and frequently asked questions of a major branch of science or philosophy. Each 3000-word essay simply and concisely examines a question that has eternally perplexed enquiring minds, and provides answers from history's great thinkers. This ambitious project is a unique distillation of humanity's best ideas. In Big Questions: Mathematics, Tony Crilly answers the 20 key questions: What is maths for? Where do numbers come from? Why are primes the atoms of maths? What are the strangest numbers? Are imaginary numbers real? How big is infinity? Where do parallel lines meet? What is the maths of the universe? Are statistics lies? Can maths guarantee riches? Is there a formula for everything? Why are three dimensions not enough? Can a butterfly's wings really cause a hurricane? Can we create an unbreakable code? Is maths beauty? Can maths predict the future? What shape is the universe? What is symmetry? Is maths true? Is there anything left to solve?