An Imaginary Tale:The Story of [the Square Root of Minus One]
出版时间:
2010-02
版次:
1
ISBN:
9780691146003
定价:
256.50
装帧:
平装
开本:
其他
纸张:
其他
页数:
296页
正文语种:
英语
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Todaycomplexnumbershavesuchwidespreadpracticaluse--fromelectricalengineeringtoaeronautics--thatfewpeoplewouldexpectthestorybehindtheirderivationtobefilledwithadventureandenigma.InAnImaginaryTale,PaulNahintellsthe2000-year-oldhistoryofoneofmathematics'mostelusivenumbers,thesquarerootofminusone,alsoknownasi.Herecreatesthebafflingmathematicalproblemsthatconjureditup,andthecolorfulcharacterswhotriedtosolvethem.
In1878,whentwobrothersstoleamathematicalpapyrusfromtheancientEgyptianburialsiteintheValleyofKings,theyledscholarstotheearliestknownoccurrenceofthesquarerootofanegativenumber.Thepapyrusofferedaspecificnumericalexampleofhowtocalculatethevolumeofatruncatedsquarepyramid,whichimpliedtheneedfori.Inthefirstcentury,themathematician-engineerHeronofAlexandriaencounteredIinaseparateproject,butfudgedthearithmetic;medievalmathematiciansstumbledupontheconceptwhilegrapplingwiththemeaningofnegativenumbers,butdismissedtheirsquarerootsasnonsense.BythetimeofDescartes,atheoreticalusefortheseelusivesquareroots--nowcalled"imaginarynumbers"--wassuspected,buteffortstosolvethemledtointense,bitterdebates.ThenotoriousifinallywonacceptanceandwasputtouseincomplexanalysisandtheoreticalphysicsinNapoleonictimes.
Addressingreaderswithbothageneralandscholarlyinterestinmathematics,Nahinweavesintothisnarrativeentertaininghistoricalfactsandmathematicaldiscussions,includingtheapplicationofcomplexnumbersandfunctionstoimportantproblems,suchasKepler'slawsofplanetarymotionandacelectricalcircuits.Thisbookcanbereadasanengaginghistory,almostabiography,ofoneofthemostevasiveandpervasive"numbers"inallofmathematics.
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内容简介:
Todaycomplexnumbershavesuchwidespreadpracticaluse--fromelectricalengineeringtoaeronautics--thatfewpeoplewouldexpectthestorybehindtheirderivationtobefilledwithadventureandenigma.InAnImaginaryTale,PaulNahintellsthe2000-year-oldhistoryofoneofmathematics'mostelusivenumbers,thesquarerootofminusone,alsoknownasi.Herecreatesthebafflingmathematicalproblemsthatconjureditup,andthecolorfulcharacterswhotriedtosolvethem.
In1878,whentwobrothersstoleamathematicalpapyrusfromtheancientEgyptianburialsiteintheValleyofKings,theyledscholarstotheearliestknownoccurrenceofthesquarerootofanegativenumber.Thepapyrusofferedaspecificnumericalexampleofhowtocalculatethevolumeofatruncatedsquarepyramid,whichimpliedtheneedfori.Inthefirstcentury,themathematician-engineerHeronofAlexandriaencounteredIinaseparateproject,butfudgedthearithmetic;medievalmathematiciansstumbledupontheconceptwhilegrapplingwiththemeaningofnegativenumbers,butdismissedtheirsquarerootsasnonsense.BythetimeofDescartes,atheoreticalusefortheseelusivesquareroots--nowcalled"imaginarynumbers"--wassuspected,buteffortstosolvethemledtointense,bitterdebates.ThenotoriousifinallywonacceptanceandwasputtouseincomplexanalysisandtheoreticalphysicsinNapoleonictimes.
Addressingreaderswithbothageneralandscholarlyinterestinmathematics,Nahinweavesintothisnarrativeentertaininghistoricalfactsandmathematicaldiscussions,includingtheapplicationofcomplexnumbersandfunctionstoimportantproblems,suchasKepler'slawsofplanetarymotionandacelectricalcircuits.Thisbookcanbereadasanengaginghistory,almostabiography,ofoneofthemostevasiveandpervasive"numbers"inallofmathematics.
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