Everybody knows that mathematics is indispensable to
physics--imagine where we'd be today if Einstein and Newton didn't
have the math to back up their ideas. But how many people realize
that physics can be used to produce many astonishing and strikingly
elegant solutions in mathematics? Mark Levi shows how in this
delightful book, treating readers to a host of entertaining
problems and mind-bending puzzlers that will amuse and inspire
their inner physicist.
Levi turns math and physics upside down, revealing how physics
can simplify proofs and lead to quicker solutions and new theorems,
and how physical solutions can illustrate why results are true in
ways lengthy mathematical calculations never can. Did you know it's
possible to derive the Pythagorean theorem by spinning a fish tank
filled with water? Or that soap film holds the key to determining
the cheapest container for a given volume? Or that the line of best
fit for a data set can be found using a mechanical contraption made
from a rod and springs? Levi demonstrates how to use physical
intuition to solve these and other fascinating math problems. More
than half the problems can be tackled by anyone with precalculus
and basic geometry, while the more challenging problems require
some calculus. This one-of-a-kind book explains physics and math
concepts where needed, and includes an informative appendix of
physical principles.
"The Mathematical Mechanic" will appeal to anyone interested in
the little-known connections between mathematics and physics and
how both endeavors relate to the world around us.
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