The secret of constellations, the enigma of the golden mean, and the brilliance of a proof-these are just some of the wonders Clawson explores with unbridled delight in this recreational math book. Throughout the book he divulges the wisdom of the ancient Greeks, Sumerians, Babylonians, and Egyptians, whose stunning revelations still have deep meaning today.Transporting us beyond mere appreciation, Clawson urges us to tackle functions, tangents, and the concept of infinity. He helps us intuitively comprehend these and other building blocks of mathematics through explaining their discovery and uses. By accompanying him on his journey, we taste the fruit of knowledge that has eluded us until now.

Back in print at last, this classic work by Calvin Clawson examines the remarkable co-evolution of numbers and human culture. From the early clay beads and ropes that our ancestors used as primitive counting tools to the influence of fractals and complex number systems on chaos theory, The Mathematical Traveler takes us on a journey over continents and through time to discover how mathematics has become an integral part of our world. We stop at ancient Sumeria, China, Greece, Italy, and England, where we learn about the discovery of our current counting system, the golden mean, pi, irrational numbers, and other mathematical innovations. More than just an overview of the history of numbers, The Mathematical Traveler explores how the understanding of mathematics helped humanity to create the underpinnings of art, technology, economics, and science that shaped the world we live in today.

Why seemingly unrelated mathematical truths are connected in simple and beautiful equations continues to stump even mathematicians. This recreational math book takes the reader on a fantastic voyage into the world of natural numbers. From the earliest discoveries of the ancient Greeks to various fundamental characteristics of the natural number sequence, Clawson explains fascinating mathematical mysteries in clear and easy prose. He delves into the heart of number theory to see and understand the exquisite relationships among natural numbers, and ends by exploring the ultimate mystery of mathematics: the Riemann hypothesis, which says that through a point in a plane, no line can be drawn parallel to a given line.While a professional mathematician's treatment of number theory involves the most sophisticated analytical tools, its basic ideas are surprisingly easy to comprehend. By concentrating on the meaning behind various equations and proofs and avoiding technical refinements, "Mathematical Mysteries" lets the common reader catch a glimpse of this wonderful and exotic world.