Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors

by Matt Parker

The First Ever Maths Book to be a No.1 Bestseller

'Wonderful ... superb' - Daily Mail

What makes a bridge wobble when it's not meant to? Why do billions of dollars mysteriously vanish into thin air? What happens when a building rocks because its resonant frequency matches a gym class leaping to Snap's 1990 hit "I've Got The Power"? The answer is maths. More specifically, it’s what occurs when maths goes wrong in the real world.

As Matt Parker illustrates, our modern lives are built on maths: from computer programs to finance and engineering. Most of the time, this maths operates quietly behind the scenes—until it doesn’t.

In this engaging exploration, Parker delves into 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. He reveals the bizarre ways maths can trip us up and what this teaches us about its essential role in our world.

Mathematics may not have good 'people skills', but Parker argues that we would all benefit from viewing it as a practical ally. This book demonstrates how, by making maths our friend, we can learn from its pitfalls. It also includes puzzles, challenges, geometric socks, jokes about binary code, and three deliberate mistakes. Getting it wrong has never been more fun!

Details:

• Pages: 336
• Published: 05/03/2020