Download or read book Mathematical Understanding of Nature written by Vladimir Igorevich Arnolʹd and published by American Mathematical Soc.. This book was released on 2014-09-04 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This collection of 39 short stories gives the reader a unique opportunity to take a look at the scientific philosophy of Vladimir Arnold, one of the most original contemporary researchers. Topics of the stories included range from astronomy, to mirages, to motion of glaciers, to geometry of mirrors and beyond. In each case Arnold's explanation is both deep and simple, which makes the book interesting and accessible to an extremely broad readership. Original illustrations hand drawn by the author help the reader to further understand and appreciate Arnold's view on the relationship between mathematics and science."--
Download or read book The Nature of Mathematical Knowledge written by Philip Kitcher and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1984 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues against the view that mathematical knowledge is a priori, contending that mathematics is an empirical science and develops historically, just as natural sciences do. Kitcher presents a complete, systematic, and richly detailed account of the nature of mathematical knowledge and its historical development, focusing on such neglected issues as how and why mathematical language changes, why certain questions assume overriding importance, and how standards of proof are modified.
Download or read book A Mathematical Nature Walk written by John A. Adam and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How heavy is that cloud? Why can you see farther in rain than in fog? Why are the droplets on that spider web spaced apart so evenly? If you have ever asked questions like these while outdoors, this book isfor your. An entertaining and informative collection of fascinating puzzles from the natural world around us, A Mathematical Nature Walk will delight anyone who loves nature or math or both. John Adam presents ninety-six questions about natural phenomena and then shows how to answer them using mostly basic mathematics. Many of the problems are illustrated, and the book also has answers, a glossary of terms, and a list of patterns found in nature. Regardless of math background, readers will learn from the informal descriptions of the problems and gain a new appreciation of the beauty of nature and the mathematics that lies behind it. --
Download or read book Mathematical Understanding of Nature written by V. I. Arnold and published by American Mathematical Society. This book was released on 2014-09-04 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of 39 short stories gives the reader a unique opportunity to take a look at the scientific philosophy of Vladimir Arnold, one of the most original contemporary researchers. Topics of the stories included range from astronomy, to mirages, to motion of glaciers, to geometry of mirrors and beyond. In each case Arnold's explanation is both deep and simple, which makes the book interesting and accessible to an extremely broad readership. Original illustrations hand drawn by the author help the reader to further understand and appreciate Arnold's view on the relationship between mathematics and science.
Download or read book Our Mathematical Universe written by Max Tegmark and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2015-02-03 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist. Fascinating from first to last—this is a book that has already prompted the attention and admiration of some of the most prominent scientists and mathematicians.
Download or read book The Nature of Mathematical Modeling written by Neil A. Gershenfeld and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book about the nature of mathematical modeling, and about the kinds of techniques that are useful for modeling. The text is in four sections. The first covers exact and approximate analytical techniques; the second, numerical methods; the third, model inference based on observations; and the last, the special role of time in modeling. Each of the topics in the book would be the worthy subject of a dedicated text, but only by presenting the material in this way is it possible to make so much material accessible to so many people. Each chapter presents a concise summary of the core results in an area. The text is complemented by extensive worked problems.
Download or read book The Nature of Mathematical Thinking written by Robert J. Sternberg and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-10-12 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do some children seem to learn mathematics easily and others slave away at it, learning it only with great effort and apparent pain? Why are some people good at algebra but terrible at geometry? How can people who successfully run a business as adults have been failures at math in school? How come some professional mathematicians suffer terribly when trying to balance a checkbook? And why do school children in the United States perform so dismally in international comparisons? These are the kinds of real questions the editors set out to answer, or at least address, in editing this book on mathematical thinking. Their goal was to seek a diversity of contributors representing multiple viewpoints whose expertise might converge on the answers to these and other pressing and interesting questions regarding this subject. The chapter authors were asked to focus on their own approach to mathematical thinking, but also to address a common core of issues such as the nature of mathematical thinking, how it is similar to and different from other kinds of thinking, what makes some people or some groups better than others in this subject area, and how mathematical thinking can be assessed and taught. Their work is directed to a diverse audience -- psychologists interested in the nature of mathematical thinking and abilities, computer scientists who want to simulate mathematical thinking, educators involved in teaching and testing mathematical thinking, philosophers who need to understand the qualitative aspects of logical thinking, anthropologists and others interested in how and why mathematical thinking seems to differ in quality across cultures, and laypeople and others who have to think mathematically and want to understand how they are going to accomplish that feat.
Download or read book Mathematics in Nature written by John Adam and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2011-10-02 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From rainbows, river meanders, and shadows to spider webs, honeycombs, and the markings on animal coats, the visible world is full of patterns that can be described mathematically. Examining such readily observable phenomena, this book introduces readers to the beauty of nature as revealed by mathematics and the beauty of mathematics as revealed in nature. Generously illustrated, written in an informal style, and replete with examples from everyday life, Mathematics in Nature is an excellent and undaunting introduction to the ideas and methods of mathematical modeling. It illustrates how mathematics can be used to formulate and solve puzzles observed in nature and to interpret the solutions. In the process, it teaches such topics as the art of estimation and the effects of scale, particularly what happens as things get bigger. Readers will develop an understanding of the symbiosis that exists between basic scientific principles and their mathematical expressions as well as a deeper appreciation for such natural phenomena as cloud formations, halos and glories, tree heights and leaf patterns, butterfly and moth wings, and even puddles and mud cracks. Developed out of a university course, this book makes an ideal supplemental text for courses in applied mathematics and mathematical modeling. It will also appeal to mathematics educators and enthusiasts at all levels, and is designed so that it can be dipped into at leisure.
Download or read book Nature s Numbers written by Ian Stewart and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2008-08-04 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It appears to us that the universe is structured in a deeply mathematical way. Falling bodies fall with predictable accelerations. Eclipses can be accurately forecast centuries in advance. Nuclear power plants generate electricity according to well-known formulas. But those examples are the tip of the iceberg. In Nature's Numbers, Ian Stewart presents many more, each charming in its own way.. Stewart admirably captures compelling and accessible mathematical ideas along with the pleasure of thinking of them. He writes with clarity and precision. Those who enjoy this sort of thing will love this book."—Los Angeles Times
Download or read book Understanding Emotions in Mathematical Thinking and Learning written by Ulises Xolocotzin and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-05-12 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emotions play a critical role in mathematical cognition and learning. Understanding Emotions in Mathematical Thinking and Learning offers a multidisciplinary approach to the role of emotions in numerical cognition, mathematics education, learning sciences, and affective sciences. It addresses ways in which emotions relate to cognitive processes involved in learning and doing mathematics, including processing of numerical and physical magnitudes (e.g. time and space), performance in arithmetic and algebra, problem solving and reasoning attitudes, learning technologies, and mathematics achievement. Additionally, it covers social and affective issues such as identity and attitudes toward mathematics. - Covers methodologies in studying emotion in mathematical knowledge - Reflects the diverse and innovative nature of the methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks proposed by current investigations of emotions and mathematical cognition - Includes perspectives from cognitive experimental psychology, neuroscience, and from sociocultural, semiotic, and discursive approaches - Explores the role of anxiety in mathematical learning - Synthesizes unifies the work of multiple sub-disciplines in one place
Download or read book Modelling Nature written by Edward Gillman and published by CABI. This book was released on 2019-05-30 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This short textbook introduces students to the concept of describing natural systems using mathematical models. We highlight the variety of ways in which natural systems lend themselves to mathematical description and the importance of models in revealing fundamental processes. The process of science via the building, testing and use of models (theories) is described and forms the structure of the book. The book covers a broad range from the molecular to ecosystems and whole-Earth phenomena. Themes running through the chapters include scale (temporal and spatial), change (linear and nonlinear), emergent phenomena and uncertainty. Mathematical descriptions are kept to a minimum and we illustrate mechanisms and results in graphical form wherever possible. Essential mathematical details are described fully, with the use of boxes. The mathematics supports but does not lead the text.
Download or read book Mathematical Practitioners and the Transformation of Natural Knowledge in Early Modern Europe written by Lesley B. Cormack and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-03-15 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that we can only understand transformations of nature studies in the Scientific Revolution if we take seriously the interaction between practitioners (those who know by doing) and scholars (those who know by thinking). These are not in opposition, however. Theory and practice are end points on a continuum, with some participants interested only in the practical, others only in the theoretical, and most in the murky intellectual and material world in between. It is this borderland where influence, appropriation, and collaboration have the potential to lead to new methods, new subjects of enquiry, and new social structures of natural philosophy and science. The case for connection between theory and practice can be most persuasively drawn in the area of mathematics, which is the focus of this book. Practical mathematics was a growing field in early modern Europe and these essays are organised into three parts which contribute to the debate about the role of mathematical practice in the Scientific Revolution. First, they demonstrate the variability of the identity of practical mathematicians, and of the practices involved in their activities in early modern Europe. Second, readers are invited to consider what practical mathematics looked like and that although practical mathematical knowledge was transmitted and circulated in a wide variety of ways, participants were able to recognize them all as practical mathematics. Third, the authors show how differences and nuances in practical mathematics typically depended on the different contexts in which it was practiced: social, cultural, political, and economic particularities matter. Historians of science, especially those interested in the Scientific Revolution period and the history of mathematics will find this book and its ground-breaking approach of particular interest.
Download or read book The Language of Nature written by Geoffrey Gorham and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2016-06-15 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Galileo’s dictum that the book of nature “is written in the language of mathematics” is emblematic of the accepted view that the scientific revolution hinged on the conceptual and methodological integration of mathematics and natural philosophy. Although the mathematization of nature is a distinctive and crucial feature of the emergence of modern science in the seventeenth century, this volume shows that it was a far more complex, contested, and context-dependent phenomenon than the received historiography has indicated, and that philosophical controversies about the implications of mathematization cannot be understood in isolation from broader social developments related to the status and practice of mathematics in various commercial, political, and academic institutions. Contributors: Roger Ariew, U of South Florida; Richard T. W. Arthur, McMaster U; Lesley B. Cormack, U of Alberta; Daniel Garber, Princeton U; Ursula Goldenbaum, Emory U; Dana Jalobeanu, U of Bucharest; Douglas Jesseph, U of South Florida; Carla Rita Palmerino, Radboud U, Nijmegen and Open U of the Netherlands; Eileen Reeves, Princeton U; Christopher Smeenk, Western U; Justin E. H. Smith, U of Paris 7; Kurt Smith, Bloomsburg U of Pennsylvania.
Download or read book Mathematics and Art written by Lynn Gamwell and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a cultural history of mathematics and art, from antiquity to the present. Mathematicians and artists have long been on a quest to understand the physical world they see before them and the abstract objects they know by thought alone. Taking readers on a tour of the practice of mathematics and the philosophical ideas that drive the discipline, Lynn Gamwell points out the important ways mathematical concepts have been expressed by artists. Sumptuous illustrations of artworks and cogent math diagrams are featured in Gamwell's comprehensive exploration. Gamwell begins by describing mathematics from antiquity to the Enlightenment, including Greek, Islamic, and Asian mathematics. Then focusing on modern culture, Gamwell traces mathematicians' search for the foundations of their science, such as David Hilbert's conception of mathematics as an arrangement of meaning-free signs, as well as artists' search for the essence of their craft, such as Aleksandr Rodchenko's monochrome paintings. She shows that self-reflection is inherent to the practice of both modern mathematics and art, and that this introspection points to a deep resonance between the two fields: Kurt Gödel posed questions about the nature of mathematics in the language of mathematics and Jasper Johns asked "What is art?" in the vocabulary of art. Throughout, Gamwell describes the personalities and cultural environments of a multitude of mathematicians and artists, from Gottlob Frege and Benoît Mandelbrot to Max Bill and Xu Bing. Mathematics and Art demonstrates how mathematical ideas are embodied in the visual arts and will enlighten all who are interested in the complex intellectual pursuits, personalities, and cultural settings that connect these vast disciplines.
Download or read book Mathematical Structures of Natural Intelligence written by Yair Neuman and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-12-01 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book uncovers mathematical structures underlying natural intelligence and applies category theory as a modeling language for understanding human cognition, giving readers new insights into the nature of human thought. In this context, the book explores various topics and questions, such as the human representation of the number system, why our counting ability is different from that which is evident among non-human organisms, and why the idea of zero is so difficult to grasp. The book is organized into three parts: the first introduces the general reason for studying general structures underlying the human mind; the second part introduces category theory as a modeling language and use it for exposing the deep and fascinating structures underlying human cognition; and the third applies the general principles and ideas of the first two parts to reaching a better understanding of challenging aspects of the human mind such as our understanding of the number system, the metaphorical nature of our thinking and the logic of our unconscious dynamics.
Download or read book Mathematical Understanding for Secondary Teaching written by Mary Kathleen Heid and published by Information Age Publishing. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A perennial discussion about teacher development is the optimal content background for teachers. In recent years, that discussion has taken center stage in the work of mathematics education researchers, mathematicians, mathematics professional developers, and mathematics education policymakers. Much of the existing and prior work in this area has been directed toward mathematical knowledge for teaching at the elementary level. The work described in this volume takes a sometimes-neglected approach, focusing on the dynamic nature of mathematical understanding rather than on a stable description of mathematical knowledge, and on mathematics for secondary teaching rather than mathematics for teaching at the elementary level. The work reported in Mathematical Understanding for Secondary Teaching: A Framework and Classroom-Based Situations is a practice-based response to the question of what mathematical understandings secondary teachers could productively use in their teaching. For each of more than 50 events, our team of almost 50 mathematics educators who were experienced mathematics teachers developed descriptions of the mathematics that teachers could use-each of those descriptions (consisting of the event and the mathematics related to the event) is what we call a Situation. We developed our Framework for Mathematical Understanding for Secondary Teaching (MUST) based on an analysis of our entire set of Situations. We call the work practice-based because the MUST framework is based on actual events that we witnessed in our observations of secondary mathematics practice. Groups of mathematics teachers can use this volume to enhance their own understandings of secondary mathematics. School leaders and professional developers in secondary mathematics will find our MUST Framework and Situations useful as they work with teachers in enhancing and deepening their understanding of secondary mathematics. Mathematics teacher educators and mathematicians who teach mathematics to prospective and in-service secondary teachers will be able to couch their mathematical discussions in the Situations-examples that arise from secondary mathematics classrooms. They will be able to use this volume as they design courses and programs that enhance mathematics from the perspectives identified in the MUST framework. Policymakers and researchers can use our MUST framework as they consider the mathematics background needed by teachers.
Download or read book The Mathematics of Patterns Symmetries and Beauties in Nature written by Bourama Toni and published by Springer. This book was released on 2023-02-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book gathers various scientific and mathematical approaches to and descriptions of the natural and physical world stemming from a broad range of mathematical areas – from model systems, differential equations, statistics, and probability – all of which scientifically and mathematically reveal the inherent beauty of natural and physical phenomena. Topics include Archimedean and Non-Archimedean approaches to mathematical modeling; thermography model with application to tungiasis inflammation of the skin; modeling of a tick-Killing Robot; various aspects of the mathematics for Covid-19, from simulation of social distancing scenarios to the evolution dynamics of the coronavirus in some given tropical country to the spatiotemporal modeling of the progression of the pandemic. Given its scope and approach, the book will benefit researchers and students of mathematics, the sciences and engineering, and everyone else with an appreciation for the beauty of nature. The outcome is a mathematical enrichment of nature’s beauty in its various manifestations. This volume honors Dr. John Adam, a Professor at Old Dominion University, USA, for his lifetime achievements in the fields of mathematical modeling and applied mathematics. Dr. Adam has published over 110 papers and authored several books.
