Number-Crunching: Taming Unruly Computational Problems from Mathematical Physics to Science Fiction - Hardcover

Nahin, Paul J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691144257 ISBN 13: 9780691144252

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2011

Synopsis

How do technicians repair broken communications cables at the bottom of the ocean without actually seeing them? What's the likelihood of plucking a needle out of a haystack the size of the Earth? And is it possible to use computers to create a universal library of everything ever written or every photo ever taken? These are just some of the intriguing questions that best-selling popular math writer Paul Nahin tackles in Number-Crunching. Through brilliant math ideas and entertaining stories, Nahin demonstrates how odd and unusual math problems can be solved by bringing together basic physics ideas and today's powerful computers. Some of the outcomes discussed are so counterintuitive they will leave readers astonished.

Nahin looks at how the art of number-crunching has changed since the advent of computers, and how high-speed technology helps to solve fascinating conundrums such as the three-body, Monte Carlo, leapfrog, and gambler's ruin problems. Along the way, Nahin traverses topics that include algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, number theory, differential equations, Fourier series, electronics, and computers in science fiction. He gives historical background for the problems presented, offers many examples and numerous challenges, supplies MATLAB codes for all the theories discussed, and includes detailed and complete solutions.

Exploring the intimate relationship between mathematics, physics, and the tremendous power of modern computers, Number-Crunching will appeal to anyone interested in understanding how these three important fields join forces to solve today's thorniest puzzles.

About this title

From the Back Cover

"While there is a plethora of computational physics books, only this one brings the sheer joy and fascination of the subject to the general reader. The problems in Number-Crunching are nicely selected, the prose is clear and humorous, and the solutions range from the interesting to the gloriously counterintuitive. With the ubiquity of powerful personal computers and the easy availability of scientific software, this is a very timely book."--Lawrence Weinstein, coauthor of Guesstimation

"Nahin's work is always highly interesting. His book tackles a large number of problems that can be handled by an adroit combination of pencil-and-paper work and, where the analytics get too difficult, numerical computation. This book is great and I really enjoyed it."--Charles Adler, St. Mary's College

About the Author

Paul J. Nahin is the author of many best-selling popular math books, including Mrs. Perkins's Electric Quilt, Digital Dice, Chases and Escapes, Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula, When Least Is Best, and An Imaginary Tale (all Princeton). He is professor emeritus of electrical engineering at the University of New Hampshire.

Edition details

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0691144257
• ISBN 13: 9780691144252
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 408