The Maths Book

A vibrant exploration of the worlds most famous and important mathematical ideas, theorems, and movements, and the great minds behind them.

Take a journey through the intriguing story of numbers, patterns, and shapes in order to better understand the complex world we live in. Charting the development of maths around the world from Babylon to Bletchley Park, The Maths Book explores and explains more than 85 of the most complex and fascinating mathematical subjects. This diverse and inclusive account of mathematics will have something for everybody. It examines the maths behind world economies, secret spies, and modern technology such as computers, the internet, and AI. But it also traces the history of maths, from the mathematical ideas and inventions of the ancient world such as the first number systems, magic squares, and the Chinese abacus, through the discovery of zero and Fermats last theorem, to the rise of group theory in the 19th century. Continuing the Big Ideas series trademark combination of authoritative, clear text and bold graphics, The Maths Book uses an innovative visual approach to make the subject accessible to everyone, casual readers and students alike.