Review
'If you don't experience a thrill of foreboding as du Sautoy ventures into this twilit territory, nothing in maths will be for you. Even if the thought of sitting down to a quintic equation makes you want to cry, it would still be hard to resist Moonshine's cocktail of anecdote, swashbuckling potted history and haphazard self-revelation. The moments of autobiographical intimacy bring the book to life…a joy.' Daily Telegraph
'Mesmerising…articulate, fluent, funny and personable, [du Sautoy] is also absolutely passionate about mathematics, with a burning desire to make the rest of us as excited as he is about its problems, its patterns and its beauty. He captures for us with brilliant vividness the excitement of the pursuit of a solution to a difficult problem.' Lisa Jardine, Sunday Times
'A fascinating and absorbing read.' Financial Times
'A marvellous account…these exasperating people with unkempt beards, untidy clothes, impossible manners and extraordinary obsessions, become, in this narrative, ultimately enviable.' Guardian
'A superlative mathematical entertainment; not pretty to the purist eye, but oh, so effective.’ Independent on Sunday
Praise for Marcus du Sautoy and ‘The Music of the Primes’:
'Du Sautoy is a contagious enthusiast, a populist with a staunch faith in the public's intelligence…he has uncovered a wealth of intriguing anecdotes that he has woven into a compelling narrative.' Observer
'He laces the ideas with history, anecdote and personalia – an entertaining mix that renders an austere subject palatable…valiant and ingenious…Even those with a mathematical allergy can enjoy du Sautoy's depictions of his cast of characters' The Times
'He brings hugely enjoyable writing, full of zest and passion, to the most fundamental questions in the pursuit of true knowledge.' Sunday Times
'A mesmerising journey into the world of mathematics and its mysteries.' Daily Mail
'A brilliant storyteller.' Independent
Review
Product Description
This new book from the author of 'The Music of the Primes' combines a personal insight into the mind of a working mathematician with the story of one of the biggest adventures in mathematics: the search for symmetry.
This is the story of how humankind has come to its understanding of the bizarre world of symmetry – a subject of fundamental significance to the way we interpret the world around us.
Our eyes and minds are drawn to symmetrical objects, from the sphere to the swastika, the pyramid to the pentagon. Symmetry indicates a dynamic relationship or connection between objects, and it is all-pervasive: in chemistry and physics the concept of symmetry explains the structure of crystals or the theory of fundamental particles; in evolutionary biology, the natural world exploits symmetry in the fight for survival; symmetry and the breaking of symmetry are central to ideas in art, architecture and music; the mathematics of symmetry is even exploited in industry, for example to find efficient ways to store more music on a CD or to keep your mobile phone conversation from cracking up through interference.
Marcus du Sautoy constantly strives to push his own boundaries to find ways in which to share the excitement of mathematics with a broader audience; this book charts his own personal quest to master one of the most innate and intangible concepts, and to demonstrate the intricacy and beauty of the world around us.
From the Back Cover
From fundamental particles to our ideas of art, from insect life to architecture and from the Alhambra to football, in ‘Finding Moonshine’, Marcus du Sautoy explores what is perhaps the most significant concept in mathematics: symmetry.
Following the eccentric individuals who have quested after symmetry through the ages, we are plunged into a very particular world: one of bearded professors and young geniuses killed in duels, of 196,883 dimensional shapes (known as the Monster) and of exhilarations unique to mathematical investigation. Grappling with some of the most complex ideas the human mind can encompass, ‘Finding Moonshine’ brilliantly combines mathematical insight with personal stories – and allows us to see the world just a little more as mathematicians do.
About the Author
Marcus du Sautoy is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and a fellow of Wadham College. He has been named by the Independent on Sunday as one of the UK's leading scientists, has written extensively for the Guardian, The Times and the Daily Telegraph and has appeared on Radio 4 on numerous occasions. He is the author of ‘The Music of the Primes’ and has presented ‘Mind Games’ and ‘Music of the Primes’ on BBC television. He was the Royal Institution Christmas lecturer in 2006, broadcast on Channel 5, and is filming ‘The Story of Maths’ for the BBC. In October 2008 he was appointed to Oxford University’s prestigious professorship as the Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science, a post previously held by Richard Dawkins. He lives in London with his wife and three children.
