The Mathematical Tourist

snapshots of modern mathematics

Plot

In this revised, updated edition of Peterson's classic work, the author blazes a trail into math's wilderness, a domain of unsettled truths full of unanswered questions, and shows us the wonderland beyond the thicket. He presents the latest information on mathematical proofs, fractals, prime numbers, and chaos, as well as new material on such intriguing topics as the relationship between mathematical knots and DNA; the application of cellular automata models to social questions; and the significant increase in the speed of factoring large composite numbers by means of computers based on quantum logic. Demystifying the major discoveries in mathematics, Peterson explores the work of key mathematicians along with the sources of their ideas and inspiration. He also shows how their discoveries fit into the mathematical puzzle and have spawned further developments. More than 100 lively line drawings and sixteen color plates of computer-generated images graphically illuminate the concepts.--From publisher description.