The Calculus of Friendship

What a Teacher and a Student Learned about Life while Corresponding about Math

Steven Strogatz (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

184 Seiten

2009
Princeton University Press (Verlag)
978-0-691-13493-2 (ISBN)

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Presents the story of an extraordinary connection between a teacher and a student, as chronicled through more than thirty years of letters between them. This title discusses about the transformation that takes place in a student's heart, as he and his teacher reverse roles, as they age, as they are buffeted by life itself.

"The Calculus of Friendship" is the story of an extraordinary connection between a teacher and a student, as chronicled through more than thirty years of letters between them. What makes their relationship unique is that it is based almost entirely on a shared love of calculus. For them, calculus is more than a branch of mathematics; it is a game they love playing together, a constant when all else is in flux. The teacher goes from the prime of his career to retirement, competes in whitewater kayaking at the international level, and loses a son. The student matures from high school math whiz to Ivy League professor, suffers the sudden death of a parent, and blunders into a marriage destined to fail. Yet through it all they take refuge in the haven of calculus - until a day comes when calculus is no longer enough. Like calculus itself, "The Calculus of Friendship" is an exploration of change. It's about the transformation that takes place in a student's heart, as he and his teacher reverse roles, as they age, as they are buffeted by life itself. Written by a renowned teacher and communicator of mathematics, "The Calculus of Friendship" is warm, intimate, and deeply moving.
The most inspiring ideas of calculus, differential equations, and chaos theory are explained through metaphors, images, and anecdotes in a way that all readers will find beautiful, and even poignant. Math enthusiasts, from high school students to professionals, will delight in the offbeat problems and lucid explanations in the letters. For anyone whose life has been changed by a mentor, "The Calculus of Friendship" will be an unforgettable journey.

Steven Strogatz is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University. His books include the best-selling "Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order" (Hyperion). He has written for the "New York Times"'s Opinionator blog.

Prologue ix Continuity (1974-75) 1 Pursuit (1976) 8 Relativity (1977) 13 Irrationality (1978-79) 23 Shifts (1980-89) 34 Proof on a Place Mat (March 1989) 42 The Monk and the Mountain (1989-90) 71 Randomness (1990-91) 84 Infinity and Limits (1991) 94 Chaos (1992-95) 107 Celebration (1996-99) 115 The Path of Quickest Descent (2000-2003) 118 Bifurcation (2004) 128 Hero's Formula (2005-Present) 140 Acknowledgments 155 Further Reading 157 Bibliography 161 Photography Credits 163 Index of Math Problems 165

Erscheint lt. Verlag	23.8.2009
Zusatzinfo	9 halftones. 46 line illus.
Verlagsort	New Jersey
Sprache	englisch
Maße	140 x 216 mm
Gewicht	369 g
Themenwelt	Literatur ► Briefe / Tagebücher
	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik
	Mathematik / Informatik ► Mathematik ► Allgemeines / Lexika
	Mathematik / Informatik ► Mathematik ► Analysis
	Mathematik / Informatik ► Mathematik ► Mathematische Spiele und Unterhaltung
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik
ISBN-10	0-691-13493-6 / 0691134936
ISBN-13	978-0-691-13493-2 / 9780691134932
Zustand	Neuware