Math Geek: From Klein Bottles to Chaos Theory, a Guide to the Nerdiest Math Facts, Theorems, and Equations

Math Geek: From Klein Bottles to Chaos Theory, a Guide to the Nerdiest Math Facts, Theorems, and Equations

by Raphael Rosen
Math Geek: From Klein Bottles to Chaos Theory, a Guide to the Nerdiest Math Facts, Theorems, and Equations

Math Geek: From Klein Bottles to Chaos Theory, a Guide to the Nerdiest Math Facts, Theorems, and Equations

by Raphael Rosen

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Overview

The new "sine" of mathematical geekdom!

Do you dream about long division in your sleep? Does the thought of solving abstruse equations bring a smile to your face? Do you love celebrating pi every March? Then, Math Geek was made for you! With this guide, you'll learn even more about the power of numbers as you explore their brilliant nature in ways you've never imagined. From manhole covers to bubbles to subway maps, each page gives you a glimpse of the world through renowned mathematicians' eyes and reveals how their theorems and equations can be applied to nearly everything you encounter. Covering dozens of your favorite math topics, you'll find fascinating answers to questions like:
  • How are the waiting times for buses determined?
  • Why is Romanesco Broccoli so mesmerizing?
  • How do you divide a cake evenly?
  • Should you run or walk to avoid rain showers?
Filled with compelling mathematical explanations, Math Geek sheds light on the incredible world of numbers hidden deep within your day-to-day life.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781440583810
Publisher: Adams Media
Publication date: 06/18/2015
Pages: 256
Sales rank: 691,237
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

An Adams Media author.

Table of Contents

Introduction 12

Part 1 Shapes 15

1 The Beauty of Romanesco Broccoli 17

2 Measuring the Length of a Coastline: Not as Easy as It Sounds 19

3 Bubbles Are Fur and Efficient 21

4 Is There Math Behind Jackson Pollock's Paintings? 23

5 The Koch Snowflake 25

6 Are You Living in the Fourth Dimension? 27

7 Building a Better Conveyor Belt 31

8 The Mathematical Connection Between Your Shoelaces and Your DNA 33

9 What the Subway Map Leaves Out 35

10 Origami 37

11 There's Math Behind Your Tangled Cords 40

12 Why Bicycle Gears Are Different Sizes 42

13 Myth Busted: Raindrops Aren't Shaped Like Teardrops 45

14 Why Are Traffic Signs Different Shapes? 47

15 Why Is the Pentagon Building Shaped Like That? 49

16 Triangles 51

17 Why Are Manhole Covers Round? 53

18 LEGO Sets 55

19 Let's Go Fly a … Quadrilateral 57

20 What Do Herpes and Table Salt Have in Common? 59

21 Why Do Golf Balls Have Dimples? 63

22 Gauss and Pizza 65

23 Geodesic Domes 68

24 A Fictional Math Book? Yes 70

25 A Soccer Ball Is Mare Than Just a Ball 72

26 Rubik's Gube: A Toy, or a Mathematical Wonder? 74

27 Paper Sizes 77

28 Different Ways to Depict Earth on a Map 79

29 Packing M&M's 81

30 Tan grams 83

31 The Velvet Rope as a Mathematical Entity 85

32 How Do Suspension Bridges Hold Cars? 87

Part 2 Behavior 89

33 Why Do Buses Arrive in Bunches? 91

34 Stop Losing Money at the Casino 94

35 How Does a Movie Win an Oscar? 96

36 Staying Dry in the Rain 98

37 The Most Efficient Checkout Line 100

38 How to Study for the Turing Test 102

39 What Is a Sextant? 106

40 Splitting Op Rent 109

41 Cutting a Cake Fairly 112

42 Delivering Packages Efficiently 115

43 How Do Algorithms Affect Your Internet Experience? 117

44 Explaining the Monty Hall Problem 119

45 The Math Behind Juggling 122

46 Nash Equilibrium 124

47 The Math Behind a Flock of Starlings 126

48 Putting a Pile in Order 128

49 Math Gets Its Day in Court 130

50 What Does a 40% Chance of Rain Really Mean? 133

51 Math-Based Test-Taking Strategies 135

52 Your Immune System Can Do Math?! 137

53 How Google Translate Works 139

54 Don't Tailgate 141

55 Brazil Nut Effect 143

56 Myth Busted: More Roads Don't Mean Less Traffic 145

57 How Many Times Can You Fold a Sheet of Paper? 148

58 Yes, There Is a Better Way to Board an Airplane 150

Part 3 Patterns 153

59 Tessellations 155

60 There Are 177,147 Ways to Tie a Necktie 157

61 Little-Known Connections Between Music and Math 159

62 The Game of Go 161

63 Chessboard and Wheat 163

64 The Tower of Hanoi 165

65 Pigeonhole Principle 167

66 Mazes 169

67 How Many Clues Do You Need to Solve a Sudoku Puzzle? 171

68 Mathematical Patterns in Van Gogh's Work 173

69 Why It's a Mathematical Feat for You to Walk Across a Room 175

70 Information Theory 177

71 Your Social Media Jealousy Has Mathematical Roots 179

72 How an Audio Recording Becomes a Digital Music File 182

73 How Many Colors Do You Need to Make a Map? 184

74 Math Helps Create Your Kids' Favorite Movies 186

75 Candy Crush Saga 188

76 Did You Inhale Caesar's Last Breath? 190

77 How Do Computers Work? 192

78 The Math Behind Birthday Buddies 195

79 Bell Choirs and Math 198

80 Bayesian Statistics 200

81 Baseball and ERA 202

82 Bacterial Division 204

83 Astrolabes 206

84 Angle of Repose 208

Part 4 Special Numbers 211

85 What's All the Fuss about Pi? 213

86 Primes 215

87 Internet Security 218

88 The Wonder and Frustration of Infinity 220

89 Fibonacci Numbers in Nature 223

90 Dewey Decimal System 225

91 Random Numbers: Are They Really Random? 227

92 Powers of Ten 229

93 Metric System 231

94 Attoseconds 233

95 Golden Ratio in Art and Architecture 235

96 The Golden Ratio in Your DNA 238

97 Using a Kid's Toy to Make Epitrochoid Curves 241

98 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Is Rooted in Math 243

99 Do Cicadas Use Math to Protect Their Species? 245

100 Base 2 247

Index 249

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