Ondanks zijn achtergrond in de elektrotechniek heeft Paul J. Nahin zich gevestigd als een gerespecteerde popularisator van wiskunde. Zijn boeken, die vaak elementen van logica en techniek bevatten, hebben een breed lezerspubliek aangetrokken. Nahin maakt complexe wiskundige concepten toegankelijk en boeiend voor een algemeen publiek. Zijn werk toont aan dat wiskunde zowel fascinerend als benaderbaar kan zijn.
What's the point of calculating definite integrals since you can't possibly do them all?. What makes doing the specific integrals in this book of value aren't the specific answers we'll obtain, but rather the methods we'll use in obtaining those answers;
Physics can explain many of the things that we commonly encounter. It can tell us why the night is dark, what causes the tides, and even how best to catch a baseball. With "In Praise of Simple Physics", Paul Nahin presents a plethora of situations that explore the science and maths behind the wonders of everyday life. Roaming through a diverse range of puzzles, he illustrates how physics shows us ways to wring more energy from renewable sources, to measure the gravity in our car garages, to figure out which of three light switches in the basement controls the light bulb in the attic, and much, much more. How fast can you travel from London to Paris? How do scientists calculate the energy of an atomic bomb explosion? How do you kick a football so it stays in the air and goes a long way downfield?
This book contains a multitude of challenging problems and solutions that are not commonly found in classical textbooks. One goal of the book is to present these fascinating mathematical problems in a new and engaging way and illustrate the connections between integrals, sums, and series, many of which involve zeta functions, harmonic series, polylogarithms, and various other special functions and constants. Throughout the book, the reader will find both classical and new problems, with numerous original problems and solutions coming from the personal research of the author. Where classical problems are concerned, such as those given in Olympiads or proposed by famous mathematicians like Ramanujan, the author has come up with new, surprising or unconventional ways of obtaining the desired results. The book begins with a lively foreword by renowned author Paul Nahin and is accessible to those with a good knowledge of calculus from undergraduate students to researchers, and will appeal to all mathematical puzzlers who love a good integral or series.
The Life, Work, and Times of an Electrical Genius of the Victorian Age
The book presents a detailed and engaging account of Heaviside's life and contributions to physics, emphasizing his historical context within the Victorian era. The author, a meticulous engineer, draws from extensive research of archives and contemporary sources, providing a rich narrative that highlights Heaviside's significance in the field. The blend of personal biography and scientific exploration offers readers a comprehensive understanding of his impact on physics and engineering.
We all played tag when we were kids. What most of us don't realize is that this simple chase game is in fact an application of pursuit theory. This book gives us the complete history of this area of mathematics, from its classical analytical beginnings to the present day.
Some probability problems are so difficult that they stump the smartest mathematicians. This text shows readers how to get numerical answers to difficult probability problems without having to solve complicated mathematical questions.
"An entertaining mathematical exploration of the heat equation and its role in the triumphant development of the trans-Atlantic telegraph cable."--Inside cover
Meshing logic problems with the stories of two extraordinary men. . . Paul Nahin fashions a tale of innovation and discovery. Alongside a gripping account of how Shannon built on Boole's work, Nahin explores others key to the technological revolution, from Georg Cantor to Alan Turing.--Nature
"Paul Nahin is a master at explaining odd phenomena through straightforward mathematics. In this collection of twenty-six intriguing problems, he explores how mathematical physicists think. Always entertaining, the problems range from ancient catapult conundrums to the puzzling physics of a very peculiar kind of glass called NASTYGLASS -- and from dodging trucks to why raindrops fall slower than the rate of gravity. The questions raised may seem impossible to answer at first and may require an unexpected twist in reasoning, but sometimes their solutions are surprisingly simple. Nahin’s goal, however, is always to guide readers -- who will need only to have studied advanced high school math and physics -- in expanding their mathematical thinking to make sense of the curiosities of the physical world. The problems are in the first part of the book and the solutions are in the second, so that readers may challenge themselves to solve the questions on their own before looking at the explanations. The problems show how mathematics -- including algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus -- can be united with physical laws to solve both real and theoretical problems. Historical anecdotes woven throughout the book bring alive the circumstances and people involved in some amazing discoveries and achievements. More than a puzzle book, this work will immerse you in the delights of scientific history while honing your math skills."
This updated textbook on solar physics features nine revised chapters, adding around 100 pages and numerous illustrations. It covers new findings in element diffusion, neutrino experiments, image restoration, spectroscopy, polarimetry, helioseismology, and numerical simulation, leveraging insights from recent space missions. Highly recommended for physicists.