A New Scientist Best Book of 2023 Why is -(-1) = 1? Why do odd and even numbers alternate? What''s the point of algebra? Is maths even real? From imaginary numbers to the perplexing order of operations we all had drilled into us, Eugenia Cheng - mathematician, writer and woman on a mission to rid the world of maths phobia - brings us maths as we''ve never seen it before, revealing how profound insights can emerge from seemingly unlikely sources. Written with intelligence and passion, Is Maths Real? is a celebration of the true, curious spirit of the discipline.

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One of the world's most creative mathematicians offers new ways to look at maths - focusing on questions, not answers

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Eugenia Cheng is a Pure Mathematician, Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Honorary Visiting Fellow of Pure Mathematics at City, University of London. A Cambridge graduate, she previously taught at the Universities of Cambridge, Chicago and Nice. She is also a concert pianist, fluent in French, and the author of several bestsellers, including How to Bake Pi and x + y.

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A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023
A NEW SCIENTIST BEST BOOK OF 2023
WINNER OF THE LA TIMES SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023 BOOK PRIZE

'A generous tour of mathematics for anyone whose instincts tend less towards "Just tell me the answer" and more towards "Wait, but why?"' JORDAN ELLENBERG

To many, maths feels like an unmapped wilderness. Between abstract concepts like imaginary numbers and infinity, it can sometimes feel like a lot of maths is just made up. Why, for example, is 1 not a prime? Why do two negatives cancel each other out? Where does trigonometry come from? Is maths even real?

Abstract mathematician Eugenia Cheng shows that curiosity is the best teacher. Is Maths Real? takes us on a scintillating tour of the simple questions that provoke mathematics' deepest insights.

'Intriguing...celebrates the dizziness and disorientation engendered by childlike questions that hint at the deep mysteries beneath'
NEW SCIENTIST

'Masterfully uncovers what's simply profound in the profoundly simple'
FRANCIS SU

'Discover what it feels like to be a real mathematician'
DAILY TELEGRAPH