Hardback | |
August 4, 2020 | |
9781421438191 | |
English | |
240 | |
1 b&w photo, 15 line drawings | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
1 Pounds (US) | |
1 Pounds (US) | |
$24.95 USD, £18.50 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Electronic book text | |
September 9, 2020 | |
9781421438207 | |
9781421438191 | |
English | |
240 | |
1 b&w photo, 15 line drawings | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
$24.95 USD, £18.50 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Supermath
The Power of Numbers for Good and Evil
In Supermath, popular author and educator Anna Weltman showcases the incredible power of mathematics when people apply it outside of the world of pure numbers, introducing it into the realms of science, politics, history, education, and art. Her stories share how math has protected us from war and disease, helped us communicate across time and space, and made the world a fairer and more beautiful place. But Weltman also warns us that dangers arise when the transformative might of numbers goes unchecked. Mathematics has been used to mistranslate records, silence indigenous communities, create gerrymandered voting districts, close the gates of higher education. Sometimes, math can blind those who wield it to its limitations, causing those who would deploy it to solve problems to instead create more.
Drawing on history and current events, Weltman tackles five fascinating questions: Is math the universal language? Can math eliminate bias? Can math predict the next move? Can math open doors? And finally, What is genuine beauty? Supermath is an enlightening book that pursues complex lines of mathematical thought while providing a fascinating lens into global problems and human culture as a whole.
About the Author
Reviews
"Anna Weltman weaves a powerful argument that the practice of mathematics is culturally embedded and has the ability to shape society for the better if wielded thoughtfully and by a more diverse group of practitioners. Supermath presents a mathematics that is expansive, political, and beautiful—in other words, a mathematics that is humanized."—Sameer Shah, high school math teacher, blogger at Continuous Everywhere but Differentiable Nowhere
"From the search for aliens to the search for twin primes to the search for racial justice, Anna Weltman spins a lot of great yarns. Better yet, each tale is true: a story of how math serves good or evil, clarity or confusion, depending on the choices of the humans who wield it."—Ben Orlin, author of Math with Bad Drawings
"This clever and engaging book illuminates the ways that mathematics depends on the sometimes flawed, sometimes transcendent humans who create it. Mathematics is not a universal language that gives you superpowers, but by understanding both its power and its limitations, we can use math responsibly as educators, decisionmakers, and citizens."—Evelyn Lamb, blogger, Roots of Unity
"Weltman's book can be read as a call for scholars, educators, and communicators of mathematics to grapple with the power our training and credentialing in mathematics grants us, and to understand that its most basic promise of solving problems is not automatic but one that we must realize."—New Books Network
The Johns Hopkins University Press | |
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Hardback | |
August 4, 2020 | |
9781421438191 | |
English | |
240 | |
1 b&w photo, 15 line drawings | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
1 Pounds (US) | |
1 Pounds (US) | |
$24.95 USD, £18.50 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Electronic book text | |
September 9, 2020 | |
9781421438207 | |
9781421438191 | |
English | |
240 | |
1 b&w photo, 15 line drawings | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
$24.95 USD, £18.50 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Other Titles in MATHEMATICS / History & Philosophy
Republic of Numbers
The World of Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Mathematician of God
Calculus in Context
Other Titles in Mathematics
Republic of Numbers
Patently Mathematical
Understanding Topology