Mathematics

In order to understand the universe you must know the language in which it is written. And that language is mathematics.

- Galileo (1564-1642)



For thousands of years, we have sought order in the apparent chaos of the universe. Mathematics has been our most valuable tool in that search, uncovering the patterns and rules that govern our world and beyond. How the World Works: Mathematics serves as a brilliant illustrated introduction to the history and enigmas of this vast discipline, plotting a journey from innumerate cave-dwellers, through the towering mathematical intellects of the last 4,000 years, to the breakthroughs of today. Topics include:

- Counting and measuring from the earliest times

- The Ancient Egyptians and geometry

- The movements of planets

- Measuring and mapping the world

- Fuzzy logic and set theory

- The death of numbers