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Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors

Matt Parker

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Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors

by Matt Parker
Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors
Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors

Comical exploration of real-world mathematical blunders.

If you enjoy a good laugh alongside mind-boggling facts, "Humble Pi" could be just your type of read. It takes the seemingly intimidating world of mathematics and turns it on its head, presenting the subject in a light-hearted yet profoundly insightful way. Matt Parker gives you a tour of epic numerical fails that are both educational and entertaining, making you appreciate math in a whole new light.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors

by Matt Parker
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780141989143
Author: Matt Parker
Publisher: Penguin
Date of Publication: 2020-03-05
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: History, Science
Related Topics: Popular Science, Mathematics
Goodreads rating: 4.11
(rated by 17114 readers)

Description

What makes a bridge wobble when it's not meant to? Billions of dollars mysteriously vanish into thin air? A building rock when its resonant frequency matches a gym class leaping to Snap's 1990 hit I've Got The Power? The answer is maths. Or, to be precise, what happens when maths goes wrong in the real world. Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near-misses and mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman empire and a hapless Olympic shooting team, Matt Parker shows us the bizarre ways maths trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Mathematics doesn't have good 'people skills', but we would all be better off, he argues, if we saw it as a practical ally. This book shows how, by making maths our friend, we can learn from its pitfalls. It also contains puzzles, challenges, geometric socks, jokes about binary code and three deliberate mistakes. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.
 

Comical exploration of real-world mathematical blunders.

If you enjoy a good laugh alongside mind-boggling facts, "Humble Pi" could be just your type of read. It takes the seemingly intimidating world of mathematics and turns it on its head, presenting the subject in a light-hearted yet profoundly insightful way. Matt Parker gives you a tour of epic numerical fails that are both educational and entertaining, making you appreciate math in a whole new light.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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