Why Beauty is Truth: The History of Symmetry (Paperback)

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• This item: Why Beauty is Truth: The History of Symmetry by Ian Stewart

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• Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician's Journey Through Symmetry by Marcus du Sautoy

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• Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities by Ian Stewart

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Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician's Journey Through Symmetry by Marcus du Sautoy 4.5 out of 5 stars (6)  £4.85

Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities by Ian Stewart 3.9 out of 5 stars (14)  £5.49

Symmetry and the Monster: One of the greatest quests of mathematics by Mark Ronan 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £6.29

I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas R. Hofstadter 3.7 out of 5 stars (11)  £6.99

Taming the Infinite: The Story of Mathematics by Ian Stewart 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £12.00

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Review
"Stewart is a highly gifted communicator, able not only to explain the motivation of mathematicians down the centuries but to elucidate the resulting mathematics with both clarity and style. The whole is leavened by his inimitable understated wit...and clarity...as he draws you into the minds of pathfinders...cutting through the clutter of the often slow and painful development of new ideas with a conviction that make this book accessible and motivating to anyone with a serious interest in maths. I resorted to hiding it from other members of the family until I'd finished and am confident that those on the 'waiting list' will not be disappointed. Inspirational." Times Educational Supplement "Stewart, long a class act in popular maths, does not shy from presenting equations, illuminating them with imagistic explanations and sympathetic character sketches of heroes past and present". The Guardian "Stewart's book is a good humoured, panoramic history of the development of mathematics from Babylonian times to the present... (A) fine contribution to mathematical literature..." FT "(T)he study of symmetry has become one of the most potent analytical tools for physicist, and a fundamental pillar of pure mathematics. Maybe this is what Keats was on about when he wrote "Beauty is truth, truth beauty." At any rate, there's been a gap in the market for a book to explain all this to a popular audience, and now Ian Stewart has filled it with Why Beauty is Truth. In it, he skilfully mixes narrative on the historical development of group theory - the mathematical machinery of symmetry - with effective lay explanations of how it actually works. Some of these may leave your brain gibbering helplessly in a corner - this can be technical. But in general they are staggeringly elegant... Keats would approve." BBC Focus Magazine "(I)mpressive... valuable and intelligent... (Ian Stewart is) an excellent professional mathematician". Daily Telegraph "Stewart... is renowned for his popular science books, but Why Beauty is Truth is without a doubt the finest. If it were only for its lively informal style, its historical characters, its intrigue... its beautiful prose, it would be praiseworthy. Yet, its real uniqueness - its power - is in what it uncovers. It brings us the heart of why mathematicians pursue mathematics." Nature "Dealing with the concept of symmetry, this book takes you on an easy and thrilling journey through the history of an idea and the men for whom it was an obsession. From the first sentence, that plants the reader in the midst of a duel, you are treated to a tale that is as much a history of individuals as it is of ideas. A surprising topic presented in an astonishingly entertaining manner." Good Book Guide"

Nature, May 2007
"(Ian Stewart) is renowned for his popular science books, but Why Beauty is Truth is without a doubt his finest... (A) brilliant interweaving of politics, history and intrigue... " --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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2 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   5 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Ian Stewart has done it again!, 29 Nov 2008 By  Mr. Daniel H. Johnson "FSM-BUCKETHEAD" (U.K.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    What more can I say? Ian Stewart takes us on a journey through group theory to places you probably never considered, but in a completely fun and accessible manner. The historical tone of the book works really well, this book has inspired me to study galois theory in far greater depth. A MUST for anybody with an interest in mathematics. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Book to be Prized., 3 Jun 2009 By  Anthony Murphy "feral cat" (Hull, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Why Beauty Is Truth: The History of Symmetry (Hardcover) When Ian Stewart writes a book on mathematics it is always something that booklovers look forward too. This book is no exception. Beside explaining complex mathematical ideas in language understandable to non-mathematicians, and making the history of mathematics come to life through linking it with the biographies,and the personal struggles of those who have carried the subject forward through the ages,Ian Stewart does it with a beautiful simplicity. The title of this book is well earned and no one who buys it will be disappointed. A bonus in this book is thatIan Stewart shows with great economy, throughout the book, the very close relationship between the development of mathematics and the progress of physics.The care he takes not to over-reach or simplify the relationship between mathematics and physics is made clear in the final chapter where under the heading: 'Seekers After Truth and Beauty' he states:"But what works in mathematics need not work in physics,and vice versa". This is a book which cannot be too highly recommended. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 2 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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