Using no more than the most basic algebra and geometry, Flannery (Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland) manages to convey not only why irrational numbers are fascinating, but how the whole enterprise of mathematical thinking is imaginative, intriguing, and engaging. A startlingly original and informative dialog, this book is a one-of-a-kind introduction to the pleasure and playful beauty of mathematical thinking.

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Klappentext

An elegantly dramatized and illustrated dialog on the square root of two and the whole concept of irrational numbers.

Inhalt
Asking the Right Questions.- Irrationality and Its Consequences.- The Power of a Little Algebra.- Witchcraft.- Odds and Ends.- Epilogue.