Numbers: A Very Short Introduction

Higgins, Peter M.

ISBN 10: 0199584052 / ISBN 13: 9780199584055

Published by Oxford University Press, 2011

About this Item

Used book in very good condition. May have some minor wear. May NOT include discs, or access code or other supplemental material. Ships directly from Amazon and is eligible for Prime or super saver FREE shipping. We ship Monday-Saturday and respond to inquiries within 24 hours.

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Numbers: A Very Short Introduction
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199584052
• ISBN 13: 9780199584055
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: very_good

About this title

Synopsis

Numbers are integral to our everyday lives and factor into almost everything we do. In this Very Short Introduction, Peter M. Higgins, a renowned popular-science writer, unravels the world of numbers, demonstrating its richness and providing an overview of all the number types that feature in modern science and mathematics. Indeed, Higgins paints a crystal-clear picture of the number world, showing how the modern number system matured over many centuries, and introducing key concepts such as integers, fractions, real and imaginary numbers, and complex numbers. Higgins sheds light on such fascinating topics as the series of primes, describing how primes are now used to encrypt confidential data on the internet. He also explores the infinite nature of number collections and explains how the so-called real numbers knit together to form the continuum of the number line. Written in the fashion of Higgins' highly popular science paperbacks, Numbers accurately explains the nature of numbers and how so-called complex numbers and number systems are used in calculations that arise in real problems.

About the Author

Peter M. Higgins is Professor and Head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Essex University. The author of five popular mathematics books, he is the inventor of Circular Sodoku.