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Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers

Amazon just informed me of a new book which is the #1 New Release Math Book on Amazon!

The book is titled: Professor Stewarts Incredible Numbers.

At its heart, mathematics is about numbers, our fundamental tools for understanding the world. In Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers, Ian Stewart offers a delightful introduction to the numbers that surround us, from the common (Pi and 2) to the uncommon but no less consequential (1.059463 and 43,252,003,274,489,856,000). Along the way, Stewart takes us through prime numbers, cubic equations, the concept of zero, the possible positions on the Rubik’s Cube, the role of numbers in human history, and beyond! An unfailingly genial guide, Stewart brings his characteristic wit and erudition to bear on these incredible numbers, offering an engaging primer on the principles and power of math.

Previously, I read Galois Theory, Third Edition (Chapman Hall/Crc Mathematics), also by Ian Stewart, and I have to say his style is very accessible to the average reader. Not overly technical or abstract, he actually explains Galois Theory in as concrete a way as possible, which is not easy, since Galois Theory is one of the most abstract topics in mathematics.

I read the Third Edition, featured above, but lately there is a newer and better fourth edition: Galois Theory, Fourth Edition.

Free Trial: Amazon Prime

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We are glad to introduce to you a Free Trial of Amazon Prime worth $99!

Random Math Fact:

Did you know:

Euler’s “lucky” numbers are positive integers n such that m² − m + n is a prime number for m = 0, …, n − 1.

Leonhard Euler published the polynomial x² − x + 41 which produces prime numbers for all integer values of x from 0 to 40. Obviously, when x is equal to 41, the value cannot be prime anymore since it is divisible by 41. Only 6 numbers have this property, namely 2, 3, 5, 11, 17 and 41.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_numbers_of_Euler

Primes and prime factorisation

Prime numbers are numbers that only have two factors, one and itself.

Examples of prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, ….

Note: 1 is NOT a Prime number!!

Perfect squares and perfect cubes

For a perfect square’s prime factorisation, each factor is to the power of a multiple of 2.

For a perfect cube’s prime factorisation, each factor is to the power of a multiple of 3.

HCF & LCM

HCF, or Highest Common Factor, is the greatest common factor between two numbers.

LCM, or Lowest Common Multiple, is the smallest common multiple between two numbers.

Laws of Indices

Check out: Indices and Logarithm Laws