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Title details for How to Bake PI by Eugenia Cheng - Available

How to Bake PI

by Eugenia Cheng
Tavia Gilbert
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
What is math? And how exactly does it work? In How to Bake Pi, math professor Eugenia Cheng provides and accessible introduction to the logic of mathematics-sprinkled throughout with recipes for everything from crispy duck to cornbread-that illustrates to the general listener the beauty of math. Rather than dwell on the math of our high school classes, with formulas to memorize an confusing symbols to decipher, Cheng takes us into a world of abstract mathematics, showing us how math can be so much more than we ever thought possible. Cheng is an expert on category theory, a cutting-edge subject that is all about figuring out how math works, a kind of mathematics of mathematics. In How to Bake Pi, Cheng starts with the basic question "What is math?" to explain concepts like abstraction, generalization, and idealization. By going back to the logical foundation of the math we all know (and may or may not love), she shows that math is actually designed to make difficult things easier. From there, she introduces us to category theory, explaining how it works to organize and simplify the whole discipline of mathematics, bridging the gaps between different mathematical concepts and shedding light on some of math's most puzzling mysteries. Though the ideas are far from simple, Cheng outlines everything in crystal-clear terms, drawing on a wide range of analogies and examples to show that doing math uses the same skills we rely on when we read a map, cook a new dish, or complete a jigsaw puzzle. The result is a book that combines some of the most satisfying features of popular math books-the thrill of truly understanding things that may or may not have been confounding in high school, while still look long and hard into unexplored territory. Through lively writing and easy-to-follow explanations, How to Bake Pi will take even the most hardened math-phobe on a journey to the cutting edge mathematical research.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 5, 2015

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781622316694
      • File size: 239251 KB
      • Duration: 08:18:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Tavia Gilbert narrates with a liveliness and lightness that one might not expect in a book about the world of mathematics. Various recipes are used to highlight points about math, revealing that math, like cooking recipes, is made up of ingredients and method. Gilbert persuasively presents this edible exploration into mathematical concepts, making them seem as familiar and unintimidating as cooking. Gilbert's fluid voice conveys the themes of beauty and power in both the concrete and abstract aspects of math. While it's uncertain whether or not everyone will come away with a complete understanding of the concepts, Gilbert's lyrical narration, together with her deliberate speed as she delivers the formulas, brings clarity and a down-to-earth approach to this often intimidating subject matter. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from March 2, 2015
      Cheng, a lecturer in mathematics at both the University of Sheffield and the University of Chicago, sets an ambitious agenda for herself: to explain to non-mathematicians how mathematicians think and to educate readers about the tools mathematicians employ when seeking solutions to complex problems. She begins each chapter with recipes (mostly desserts) that she then employs to illustrate the thought processes that underlie mathematical reasoning—a surprisingly stimulating and successful conceit. Having grabbed the reader’s attention, Cheng playfully walks through numerous math problems of varying difficulty, taking care to provide understandable and illuminating solutions. She often departs from mathematical theory to highlight the pragmatic values of logic and rationality as employed by mathematicians in everyday life, and she possesses a lighter side that recognizes mathematical reasoning is not life’s holy grail, underlining her point with an entertaining, and wise, six-point indictment of pure logic as a tool with which to approach “all that life throws at us.” Cheng is exceptional at translating the abstract concepts of mathematics into ordinary language, a strength aided by a writing style that showcases the workings of her curious, sometimes whimsical mind. This combination allows her to demystify how mathematicians think and work, and makes her love for mathematics contagious. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell Management.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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