Cosmic Numbers: The Numbers That Define Our Universe

Stein, James D

ISBN 10: 0465063799 / ISBN 13: 9780465063796

Published by Basic Books, 2013

About this Item

Shows minimal wear such as frayed or folded edges, minor rips and tears, and/or slightly worn binding. May have stickers and/or contain inscription on title page. No observed missing pages.

Seller Inventory # 581V6C00091N_ns

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Cosmic Numbers: The Numbers That Define Our Universe
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0465063799
• ISBN 13: 9780465063796
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

Our fascination with numbers begins when we are children and continues throughout our lives. We start counting our fingers and toes and end up balancing checkbooks and calculating risk. So powerful is the appeal of numbers that many people ascribe to them a mystical significance. Other numbers go beyond the supernatural, working to explain our universe and how it behaves.

Cosmic Numbers, mathematics professor James D. Stein traces the discovery, evolution, and interrelationships of the numbers that define our world. Everyone knows about the speed of light and absolute zero, but numbers like Boltzmann's constant and the Chandrasekhar limit are not as well known, and they do far more than one might imagine: They tell us how this world began and what the future holds. Much more than a gee-whiz collection of facts and figures, Cosmic Numbers illuminates why particular numbers are so important -- both to the scientist and to the rest of us.

About the Author

James D. Stein is a past member of the Institute of Advanced Studies and is currently a Professor of Mathematics at California State University (Long Beach). His list of publications is extensive and includes: How to Shoot from the Hip Without Getting Shot in the Foot (with Herbert L. Stone and Charles V. Harlow); How Math Explains the World (a Scientific American Book Club selection); The Right Decision (also a Scientific American Book Club selection); and How Math Can Save Your Life. He has been a guest blogger for Psychology Today and his work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times.