For over half a century, in the middle of the night, or in the morning, mathematicians in Budapest or Berkeley, Prague or Sydney, would be summoned by a knock at their front door. There on their doorstep they would find one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century - Paul Erdos, a small suitcase in one hand and a bag full of papers in the other, announcing, "My brain is open". Then with his host and other mathematicians assembled as needed, Erdos would begin another mathematical journey. Literally homeless, without even a bank account, Erdos would rely on his host to tend to his daily needs while he explored the realm of mathematics. Before long, fuelled by caffeine or Benzedrine, Erdos would exhaust his hosts. Brain still wide open, he would take off to mathematical conferences, or visit another colleague, logging hundreds of miles on his journeys. This text is an exploration of the world of mathematics in which Erdos moved, an exciting world vital to the technology of the 20th century but largely unknown to many.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Physicist and science writer Bruce Schechter's biography of legendary Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdös is an engaging portrait, warm and intimate, bringing this strange, happy man to life. Schechter's focus is tighter and more traditionally biographical than Paul Hoffman's in The Man Who Loved Only Numbers. Here we get to see Erdös's brief childhood transform quickly into a carefree adolescence of solving difficult maths problems with his circle of brilliant friends--uniquely encouraged by a country that valued the contributions of mathematics in a way that has never been equalled. Fleeing the Holocaust, Erdös never settled down, instead travelling from place to place, showing up on the doorsteps of other mathematicians with his few possessions and an open mind. During his career, Erdös published more papers than any other mathematician in history. Most of the papers were collaborations:
For Erdös, the mathematics that consumed most of his waking hours was not a solitary pursuit but a social activity. One of the great mathematical discoveries of the twentieth century was the simple equation that two heads are better than one.... That radical transformation of how mathematics is created is the result of many factors, not the least of which was the infectious example set by Erdös.Schechter spoke with many of Erdös's collaborators to complete this biography, which reveals the odd mathematician as charming, opinionated and completely dependent upon the kindness of others. Schechter not only tells his fascinating story, but introduces some intriguing mathematics problems (with easy-to-understand explanations) to show readers why Erdös loved the elegance of numbers more than anything else in the world. --Therese Littleton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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THE call might come at midnight or an hour before dawn-mathematicians are oddly unable to handle the arithmetic of time zones. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THE call might come at midnight or an hour before dawn-mathematicians are oddly unable to handle the arithmetic of time zones. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
This book is hilarious, witty, informative and intelligent. Paul Erdos comes alive in a book filled with anecdote and insight. The math is all quite simple and basic, so even people who are not trained in math beyond two-plus-two can follow it easily. Mostly the math is presented in a human context so the "world of math" is illuminated rather than specific math problems or techniques.
There exists another bio of Erdos, "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers," by Paul Hoffman, which has been promoted far more more actively by its publisher, but "My Brain Is Open" has (deservedly) been singled out by reviewers as being far superior. The New Scientist rightly said that Schechter's book is "better written, better structured, and better judged" than Hoffman's. Library Journal said that Schechter's is the definitive bio that libraries should order. Publishers Weekly said Schechter's book is better. The Wall Street journal said Schechter's book is better. The Math Association of America said Schechter's book is better. The Los Angeles Times said Schechter's book is better.
For reasons having to do more with business than taste, however, Hoffman's book has been aggressively promoted while Schechter's book, at least in America, was scarcely promoted at all. This is an injustice to the reading public, however, which ought to know that the superior product is the one that has not gotten all the hype. There is really no contest. Both books are quite entertaining, but Schechter's book is more so. In fact, Schechter's book is one of the best math or science titles ever written for a popular audience.
By Biro
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Nice easy summer hols type read. Not as 'romantic' as the other one (The Man Who Loved Only Numbers), but probably a bit more depth to it in that it covers his earlier life in a bit more detail. It also resolves the question as to who produced more papers, Euler of Erdos, but you will have to read the book to find the answer to that one.
7 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Not quite whatI was expecting, I thought it would involve more mathematical proofs & formulae ( it does contain 1 or 2 simple proofs explained in laymans terms. Although there is a lot of interesting facts about Mr. Erdos's life, which at times are quite amusing, there is a lot of additional information about the lives & times of many other mathematicians that Mr. Erdos either worked with or whose ideas effected his life. Generally an interesting insight into the strange lives & times of mathematicians, an enjoyable read.
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