Books — hermiene.net

Back to Books

Asimov On Numbers

[permalink]

Author:: Isaac Asimov (author)
Language:: English
Original language:: English
Publisher:: Pocket Books
Categories:: Mathematics and science
Publication year:: 1978
ISBN:: 0-671-82134-2
Pages:: 275
Synopsis:: This is a collection of essays by Asimov on numbers and mathematics. It discusses how we got the concept of zero (from India via the Arabs), exponents, factorials, aleph numbers (there are actually different kinds of infinities), pi, imaginary numbers, huge numbers (like googol, but that doesn't even scratch the surface), the metric system (yum), and a host of other stuff. It also has an essay on animals and their sizes.
Review:: As with most essay collections from Asimov, this one is a sure-fire good read. Asimov explains in detail (but not too painful detail) a lot of difficult mathematics, step by careful step. Unlike a lot of his other collections, this one feels a little miscellaneous, but that doesn't at all detract from its quality.
Has read?: Yes
Debut?: No
Images:
High-res images:: [Back (3.01 MB)] [Spine (527.71 KB)] [Front (4.13 MB)]
Table of Contents:: [Toggle visibility]

Introduction

Part I NUMBERS AND COUNTING

1. Nothing Counts

2. One, Ten, Buckle My Shoe

3. Exclamation Point!

4. T-Formation

5. Varieties of the Infinite

Part II NUMBERS AND MATHEMATICS

6. A Piece of Pi

7. Tools of the Trade

8. The Imaginary That Isn't

Part III NUMBERS AND MEASUREMENT

9. Forget It!

10. Pre-fixing It Up

Part IV NUMBERS AND THE CALENDAR

11. The Days of Our Years

12. Begin at the Beginning

Part V NUMBERS AND BIOLOGY

13. That's About the Size of It

Part VI NUMBERS AND ASTRONOMY

14. The Proton-Reckoner

Part VII NUMBERS AND THE EARTH

15. Water, Water, Everywhere—

16. Up and Down the Earth

17. The Isles of Earth

Back to Books