Mathematical Mysteries

This unparalleled meditation on the beauty and meaning of numbers explores the most exquisite equations in mathematics and allows us to experience the rush of exhilaration that comes with understanding their grandeur. Calvin Clawson asserts that, in the same way we are struck by the beauty of a great work of art, our brains are singularly attuned to comprehending and finding pleasure in deep mathematical truths. Clawson lets numbers sing their siren song by conferring on us the sensibility to grasp their meaning. Any of us, recalling only the basics of high school algebra, can follow Clawson into the heart of mathematics. There we learn to appreciate the wonder, as great mathematicians have through the ages, of the unexplainable symmetry, beauty, and interconnectedness of numbers. The mystery of numbers lies in a bewildering paradox: if numbers are purely objects of human thought, then why do they correspond so strikingly to the physical universe? Indeed, as Clawson explains, the story of mathematics is comprised of near-mystical expressions that elegantly connect the most important mathematical truths. Further mysteries abound: How can a simple, familiar equation, when graphed, be transformed into a stunningly complex and beautiful fractal? Why have questions posed by the Greeks remained beyond proof by even the best and brightest of our century? How can we humans, as limited and finite beings, play with and discover the infinite? This book cuts to the soul of what drives mathematicians on lifelong pilgrimages of discovery - and stays in touch with the wonder at the core of that pursuit.