This book shows us that math isnt́ confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do. Armed with the tools of mathematics, we can see through to the true meaning of information we take for granted: How early should you get to the airport? What does ṕublic opinion ŕeally represent? Why do tall parents have shorter children? Who really won Florida in 2000? And how likely are you, really, to develop...

"The P-NP problem is the most important open problem in computer science, if not all of mathematics. The Golden Ticket provides a nontechnical introduction to P-NP, its rich history, and its algorithmic implications for everything we do with computers and beyond. In this informative and entertaining book, Lance Fortnow traces how the problem arose during the Cold War on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and gives examples of the problem from a variety...

This impressive volume stands out because it teaches both math and the history behind it. It introduces the serious student of math to key concepts of calculus, while offering biographies of important figures as a background to the comprehensive understanding of the field. Readers will gain a solid appreciation for the sometimes competing theories that informed its early history. Though this book is perfect for the serious student, it is accessible...

A group of college students used its math skills to win millions and life in the fast lane seemed like a sure bet. Slip back to the '80s and '90s, when a group of overachieving M.I.T. students morphed into high-rolling, big-stakes gamblers. Backed by anonymous investors, they checked into hotels under assumed names and, pretending not to know each other, communicated with secret gestures and code words inside the casinos. Betting $50,000 a hand, the...