From 0 to Infinity in 26 Centuries: The Extraordinary Story of Maths


Chris Waring - 2012
    Book by Waring, Chris

Impossibility: The Limits of Science and the Science of Limits


John D. Barrow - 1998
    Astronomer John Barrow takes an intriguing look at the limits of science, who argues that there are things that are ultimately unknowable, undoable, or unreachable.

The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—But Some Don't


Nate Silver - 2012
    He solidified his standing as the nation's foremost political forecaster with his near perfect prediction of the 2012 election. Silver is the founder and editor in chief of FiveThirtyEight.com. Drawing on his own groundbreaking work, Silver examines the world of prediction, investigating how we can distinguish a true signal from a universe of noisy data. Most predictions fail, often at great cost to society, because most of us have a poor understanding of probability and uncertainty. Both experts and laypeople mistake more confident predictions for more accurate ones. But overconfidence is often the reason for failure. If our appreciation of uncertainty improves, our predictions can get better too. This is the "prediction paradox": The more humility we have about our ability to make predictions, the more successful we can be in planning for the future.In keeping with his own aim to seek truth from data, Silver visits the most successful forecasters in a range of areas, from hurricanes to baseball, from the poker table to the stock market, from Capitol Hill to the NBA. He explains and evaluates how these forecasters think and what bonds they share. What lies behind their success? Are they good-or just lucky? What patterns have they unraveled? And are their forecasts really right? He explores unanticipated commonalities and exposes unexpected juxtapositions. And sometimes, it is not so much how good a prediction is in an absolute sense that matters but how good it is relative to the competition. In other cases, prediction is still a very rudimentary-and dangerous-science.Silver observes that the most accurate forecasters tend to have a superior command of probability, and they tend to be both humble and hardworking. They distinguish the predictable from the unpredictable, and they notice a thousand little details that lead them closer to the truth. Because of their appreciation of probability, they can distinguish the signal from the noise.

One Day University Presents: Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness


One Day University - 2010
    He is also the Head Teaching Fellow for the most popular course at Harvard, “Positive Psychology,” which is taken by more than 1,000 students per semester and led by Professor Tal Ben-Shahar.  Shawn received his B.A. in English from Harvard and a Master’s from Harvard Divinity School in Christian and Buddhist Ethics. Part of his interest in positive psychology stems from a troubling fact: studies have shown that many of Harvard’s undergraduates suffer from depression at some point in their college careers. One Day University is a unique educational experience  that brings intellectuals together to learn from top rated professors at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and other prestigious universities. Chosen for their excellent teaching abilities as rated by their students, these great thinkers represent a wide variety of academic disciplines and share their knowledge in 60 minute, highly entertaining lectures. Offering the ability to learn the highlights of academic thought in world affairs, politics, history, science, art, and more; One Day University is a way to truly enjoy the thrill of learning without the pressures of tests and the high price tag of college tuition. Once reserved only for students who could attend the lectures in New York and other major cities, One Day University courses are now available to everyone from the comfort of their own homes in Kindle format.

Why Does E=mc²? (And Why Should We Care?)


Brian Cox - 2009
    Breaking down the symbols themselves, they pose a series of questions: What is energy? What is mass? What has the speed of light got to do with energy and mass? In answering these questions, they take us to the site of one of the largest scientific experiments ever conducted. Lying beneath the city of Geneva, straddling the Franco-Swiss boarder, is a 27 km particle accelerator, known as the Large Hadron Collider. Using this gigantic machine—which can recreate conditions in the early Universe fractions of a second after the Big Bang—Cox and Forshaw will describe the current theory behind the origin of mass.Alongside questions of energy and mass, they will consider the third, and perhaps, most intriguing element of the equation: 'c' - or the speed of light. Why is it that the speed of light is the exchange rate? Answering this question is at the heart of the investigation as the authors demonstrate how, in order to truly understand why E=mc2, we first must understand why we must move forward in time and not backwards and how objects in our 3-dimensional world actually move in 4-dimensional space-time. In other words, how the very fabric of our world is constructed. A collaboration between two of the youngest professors in the UK, Why Does E=mc2? promises to be one of the most exciting and accessible explanations of the theory of relativity in recent years.

Introducing Windows 8.1 for It Professionals


Ed Bott - 2013
    It is offered for sale in print format as a convenience.Get a head start evaluating Windows 8.1 - with early technical insights from award-winning journalist and Windows expert Ed Bott. Based on the Windows 8.1 Preview release, this guide introduces new features and capabilities, with scenario-based advice on how Windows 8.1 can meet the needs of your business. Get the high-level overview you need to begin preparing your deployment now.Preview new features and enhancements, including:How features compare to Windows 7 and Windows XP The Windows 8.1 user experience Deployment Security features Internet Explorer 11 Delivering Windows apps Recovery options Networking and remote access Managing mobile devices Virtualization Windows RT 8.1

The Science of Information: From Language to Black Holes


Benjamin Schumacher - 2015
    Never before in history have we been able to acquire, record, communicate, and use information in so many different forms. Never before have we had access to such vast quantities of data of every kind. This revolution goes far beyond the limitless content that fills our lives, because information also underlies our understanding of ourselves, the natural world, and the universe. It is the key that unites fields as different as linguistics, cryptography, neuroscience, genetics, economics, and quantum mechanics. And the fact that information bears no necessary connection to meaning makes it a profound puzzle that people with a passion for philosophy have pondered for centuries.Table of ContentsLECTURE 1The Transformability of Information 4LECTURE 2Computation and Logic Gates 17LECTURE 3Measuring Information 26LECTURE 4Entropy and the Average Surprise 34LECTURE 5Data Compression and Prefix-Free Codes 44LECTURE 6Encoding Images and Sounds 57LECTURE 7Noise and Channel Capacity 69LECTURE 8Error-Correcting Codes 82LECTURE 9Signals and Bandwidth 94LECTURE 10Cryptography and Key Entropy 110LECTURE 11Cryptanalysis and Unraveling the Enigma 119LECTURE 12Unbreakable Codes and Public Keys 130LECTURE 13What Genetic Information Can Do 140LECTURE 14Life’s Origins and DNA Computing 152LECTURE 15Neural Codes in the Brain 169LECTURE 16Entropy and Microstate Information 185LECTURE 17Erasure Cost and Reversible Computing 198LECTURE 18Horse Races and Stock Markets 213LECTURE 19Turing Machines and Algorithmic Information 226LECTURE 20Uncomputable Functions and Incompleteness 239LECTURE 21Qubits and Quantum Information 253LECTURE 22Quantum Cryptography via Entanglement 266LECTURE 23It from Bit: Physics from Information 281LECTURE 24The Meaning of Information 293

Advanced Engineering Mathematics


K.A. Stroud - 2003
    You proceed at your own rate and any difficulties you may encounter are resolved before you move on to the next topic. With a step-by-step programmed approach that is complemented by hundreds of worked examples and exercises, Advanced Engineering Mathematics is ideal as an on-the-job reference for professionals or as a self-study guide for students.Uses a unique technique-oriented approach that takes the reader through each topic step-by-step.Features a wealth of worked examples and progressively more challenging exercises.Contains Test Exercises, Learning Outcomes, Further Problems, and Can You? Checklists to guide and enhance learning and comprehension.Expanded coverage includes new chapters on Z Transforms, Fourier Transforms, Numerical Solutions of Partial Differential Equations, and more Complex Numbers.Includes a new chapter, Introduction to Invariant Linear Systems, and new material on difference equations integrated into the Z transforms chapter.

Lectures on the Foundations of Mathematics, Cambridge 1939


Ludwig Wittgenstein - 1989
    A lecture class taught by Wittgenstein, however, hardly resembled a lecture. He sat on a chair in the middle of the room, with some of the class sitting in chairs, some on the floor. He never used notes. He paused frequently, sometimes for several minutes, while he puzzled out a problem. He often asked his listeners questions and reacted to their replies. Many meetings were largely conversation. These lectures were attended by, among others, D. A. T. Gasking, J. N. Findlay, Stephen Toulmin, Alan Turing, G. H. von Wright, R. G. Bosanquet, Norman Malcolm, Rush Rhees, and Yorick Smythies. Notes taken by these last four are the basis for the thirty-one lectures in this book. The lectures covered such topics as the nature of mathematics, the distinctions between mathematical and everyday languages, the truth of mathematical propositions, consistency and contradiction in formal systems, the logicism of Frege and Russell, Platonism, identity, negation, and necessary truth. The mathematical examples used are nearly always elementary.

50 Mathematical Ideas You Really Need to Know


Tony Crilly - 2007
    Who invented zero? Why are there 60 seconds in a minute? Can a butterfly's wings really cause a storm on the far side of the world? In 50 concise essays, Professor Tony Crilly explains the mathematical concepts that allow use to understand and shape the world around us.

The Complete Book of Baby Names: The Most Names (100,001+), Most Unique Names, Most Idea-Generating Lists (600+) and the Most Help to Find the Perfect Name


Lesley Bolton - 2006
    Helpful and full of creative inspiration, this #1 bestseller gives you all the best ways to find your favorites and decide on the perfect fit. The Most Names, Most Lists, Most Help to Find the Best Name: More Names AND Richer Definitions The Most (600+) Creative Lists to Inspire You The Most Idea-Sparking Celebrity Baby Names The Most Popular-and Unique-Names The Newest Trends, Including What Makes the Perfect Name More than 600 Fun Lists to Help You Choose, Including: Intellectual, creative names from literature and the arts Strong, respected names from sports and politics Unique, under-the-radar names that hit the right notesPacked full of more than 100,001 baby names with origins, variations, and richer definitions, The Complete Book of Baby Names makes choosing your baby's name a joyful act of love. Everything You Need ... The most up-to-date list of popular names - plus top twin names Selecting sibling names that make sense for your family Great gender-neutral names - plus the top 61 names Adding a middle name - or two 18 essentials in choosing the perfect name... And what not to name your baby All the top baby boy and baby girl names Plus all the best variations and nicknamesAll You Need in One Complete Book MORE PRAISE FOR THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BABY NAMES:"The Complete Book of Baby Names is a great resource if you are naming a baby, and, it's also an interesting read. Busy Girl has been using it to inform all her friends what their names mean.Most importantly, though, it covers what NOT to name your baby. I'll let you check that one out yourself." BusyMom.net"Since this is my third child, I've been through my share of baby name books, about 2 a pregnancy. This one I found as my favorite, not just the first few chapters but the list of names are wonderful and broken not just into boy and girl categories but lists of popular names by country, twin names and hordes of other lists. You'll be amazed, as I was." snowboundintheyukon.blogspot.com"If you're going to choose one baby name book and get the most bang for your buck, this is a good one to go with. It's more complete and helpful than any other single book I've seen out there and short of turning it into an OED-style multi-volume set, I'm not sure there's much more the author Lesley Bolton could pack in." daringyoungmom.com"The Complete Book of Baby Names is so fun too. It isn't just a list of names - it is like a course in baby-naming With chapters on baby-naming history, naming trends, the attributes of a perfect name, middles names, etc. as well as 276 fun name lists like popular names in different countries, and bizarre lists such as the names of models, First Ladies, Reality TV Stars and more, this book could keep me going until I deliver " 5minutesformom.com"We've seen a lot of baby name books in our time, some good, and some not so good. This one's a good one...It has the big list, so that you can look up the definitions of the names that you're considering. But, it also teaches you how to pick a really great name for your little bundle of joy... So, if you just want definitions, this book's got those. If you just don't know what name you want, or if you're scared of choosing the wrong name, this book can help." thefamilylog.com

Easy as Pi: The Countless Ways We Use Numbers Every Day


Jamie Buchan - 2009
    Make this and all of the Blackboard Books(tm) a permanent fixture on your shelf, and you'll have instant access to a breadth of knowledge. Whether you need homework help or want to win that trivia game, this series is the trusted source for fun facts.

Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers


Jan Gullberg - 1997
    The book is unique among popular books on mathematics in combining an engaging, easy-to-read history of the subject with a comprehensive mathematical survey text. Intended, in the author's words, "for the benefit of those who never studied the subject, those who think they have forgotten what they once learned, or those with a sincere desire for more knowledge," it links mathematics to the humanities, linguistics, the natural sciences, and technology.Contains more than 1000 original technical illustrations, a multitude of reproductions from mathematical classics and other relevant works, and a generous sprinkling of humorous asides, ranging from limericks and tall stories to cartoons and decorative drawings.

Contemporary Abstract Algebra


Joseph A. Gallian - 2004
    His Contemporary Abstract Algebra, 6/e, includes challenging topics in abstract algebra as well as numerous figures, tables, photographs, charts, biographies, computer exercises, and suggested readings that give the subject a current feel and makes the content interesting and relevant for students.

Calculus, Volume 1: One-Variable Calculus with an Introduction to Linear Algebra


Tom M. Apostol - 1961
    Integration is treated before differentiation--this is a departure from most modern texts, but it is historically correct, and it is the best way to establish the true connection between the integral and the derivative. Proofs of all the important theorems are given, generally preceded by geometric or intuitive discussion. This Second Edition introduces the mean-value theorems and their applications earlier in the text, incorporates a treatment of linear algebra, and contains many new and easier exercises. As in the first edition, an interesting historical introduction precedes each important new concept.