Weird Math: A Teenage Genius and His Teacher Reveal the Strange Connections Between Math and Everyday Life [Hardcover]

A teenage genius and his teacher take readers on a wild ride to the extremes of mathematics

Everyone has stared at the crumpled page of a math assignment and wondered, where on Earth will I ever use this? It turns out, Earth is precisely the place. As teen math prodigy Agnijo Banerjee and his teacher David Darling reveal, complex math surrounds us. If we think long enough about the universe, we're left not with material stuff, but a ghostly and beautiful set of equations. Packed with puzzles and paradoxes, mind-bending concepts, and surprising solutions,Weird Mathleads us from a lyrical exploration of mathematics in our universe to profound questions about God, chance, and infinity. A magical introduction to the mysteries of math, it will entrance beginners and seasoned mathematicians alike.David Darlingis a science writer and astronomer. He is the author of the acclaimedEquations of Eternity, among other books. He lives in Dundee, Scotland.

Agnijo Banerjeeis a brilliant young mathematician and child genius. A student of Darling's, he lives near Dundee, Scotland. A miscellany of fun oddities, ranging from chess-playing computers to prime-counting insects. Spectator (UK) Readers seeking nifty facts to wow others won't be disappointed.... Even the number challenged will emerge with a stronger appreciation of math. Booklist This frolic on the wilder shores of mathematics aims to bolt the way-out to the day-to-day. It succeeds. Nature [An] enjoyable, wide-ranging volume of essays on such diverse mathematical topics as computing, music theory, prime numbers, and paradoxes. Even math-averse readers should find something to pique their interest here. Publishers Weekly [Darling and Banerjee] offer some beguiling insights on what math is about and how it has evolved. Kirkus Reviews Darling and Banerjee take us on a captivating ride through a vast landsc