The Book of Numbers by
Unraveling the secrets of numbers, from the discovery of zero to infinity. In clear language, The Book of Numbers cuts through the mystery and fear surrounding numbers to reveal their fascinating nature and roles in architecture, quantum mechanics, computer technology, biology, commerce, philosophy, art, music, religion and more. Indeed, numbers are part of every discipline in the sciences and the arts. With 350 illustrations, including diagrams, photographs and computer imagery, the book chronicles the centuries-long search for the meaning of numbers by famous and lesser-known mathematicians, and explains the puzzling aspects of the mathematical world. Topics include: The earliest ideas of numbers and counting Patterns, logic, calculating Natural, perfect, amicable and prime numbers Numerology, the power of numbers, superstition The computer, the Enigma Code Infinity, the speed of light, relativity Complex numbers The Big Bang and Chaos theories The Philosopher's Stone. The Book of Numbers shows enthusiastically that numbers are neither boring nor dull but rather involve intriguing connections, rivalries, secret documents and even mysterious deaths.
Mathematics by
This extraordinary work takes the reader on a long and fascinating journey--from the dual invention of numbers and language, through the major realms of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus, to the final destination of differential equations, with excursions into mathematical logic, set theory, topology, fractals, probability, and assorted other mathematical byways. The book is unique among popular books on mathematics in combining an engaging, easy-to-read history of the subject with a comprehensive mathematical survey text. Intended, in the author's words, "for the benefit of those who never studied the subject, those who think they have forgotten what they once learned, or those with a sincere desire for more knowledge," it links mathematics to the humanities, linguistics, the natural sciences, and technology.
A Beautiful Mind by
A biography of a mathematical genius who at the age of thirty-one, suffered from a devastating breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Yet after decades of leading a ghost-like existence, he was to re-emerge to win a Nobel Prize and world acclaim.
Pi in the Sky by
Whether one studies the farthest reaches of outer space or the inner space of elementary particles of matter, our understanding of the physical world is built on mathematics. But what exactly is mathematics? A game played on pieces of paper? A human invention? An austere religion? Part of the mind of God? And equally important, why do we believe it can reveal to us the nature of the universe? John D. Barrow explores these tantalizing questions in Pi in the Sky, a lively and illuminating study of the origins and nature of mathematics. His tour takes us from primitive counting to the latest scientific ideas about the physical world, from the notched animal bones of the hunter-gatherers to the visions of Galileo and Descartes, and from the intricate mathematical systems of Egypt, Sumeria, and other early civilizations, to the work of such modern giants as Einstein, Kurt Godel, Alfred Tarski, and Bertrand Russell. We meet Pythagoras and his mystical "cult of numbers" as well as an eighteenth-century Swiss mathematician who proved to his colleagues--through an algebraic formula--the existence of God. Barrow examines ancient Chinese counting rods colored black and red for negative and positive numbers; the Botocoudo Indians of Brazil, who indicate any number over four by pointing to the hairs on their head; and the dethroning of Euclidian geometry in the nineteenth century with the rise of Darwin and cultural relativism. And in an eye-opening last chapter, Barrow discusses how the traditional picture of the universe as a vast mechanism is currently being replaced by a new paradigm--one that sees the universe, in essence, as a cosmic computer program. Bristling with riddles and paradoxes, and quoting everyone from Lao-Tse and Robert Pirsig, to Charles Darwin and G.K. Chesterton, to Roger Bacon, Baron de Montesquieu, and Umberto Eco, Pi in the Sky is a profound--and profoundly edifying--journey into the world of mathematics. It illuminates the way that numbers shape how we see the world and how we see ourselves.
Supporting Australian Mathematics Project is funded by the Australian Government and provides resources for students in Years 5-9 based on the new Australian curriculum for Mathematics.
Links for Years 7-9 organise resources under the content descriptors of Number and Algebra; Measurement and Geometry; and Statistics and Probability.
Australian Mathematics Science Institute produced a number of modules for the The Improving Mathematics Education in Schools (TIMES) Project. The modules are designed for students and are aligned to the Australian Curriculum Mathematics strands - Number and Algebra; Measurement and Geometry; and Statistics and Probability.
Books about Mathematics can be found in the following areas of the Christopher Brennan Library:
510 Mathematics
511 General principles of mathematics
512 Algebra
513 Arithmetic
516 Geometry
518 Numerical Analysis
519 Probabilities & applied mathematics
Mathletics is a personal learning space for students with targeted curriculum content, interactive tutorials, games and rewards. Ask your Mathematics teacher for your personal log on details.