Infinite Powers

Cornell University's Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics is STEVEN STROGATZ. He is a well-known teacher and one of the world's most quoted mathematicians, and he has blogged about math for the New York Times and The New Yorker, as well as appearing on Radiolab and Science Friday. He wrote the books Sync and The Joy of x.

We wouldn't have cell phones, television, GPS, or ultrasound without calculus. We wouldn't have discovered Neptune or realized how to put 5,000 music in your pocket.

Though many of us were put off by this important, captivating topic in high school and college, Steven Strogatz's brilliantly inventive, down-to-earth narrative demonstrates that calculus is not about complexity; it is about simplicity. It uses an unreal number—infinity—to solve real-world problems, breaking them down into easier ones and then reassembling the answers into seemingly miraculous solutions.

Infinite Powers tells the story of calculus's founders, beginning with its first glimmers in ancient Greece and continuing up to the discovery of gravitational waves (a phenomenon predicted by calculus). Strogatz explains how this type of math rose to the challenges of each era: how to determine the area of a circle with only sand and a stick; how to explain why Mars sometimes goes "backwards"; how to make electricity with magnets; how to ensure your rocket doesn't miss the moon; and how to turn the tide in the AIDS fight.

Calculus, as Strogatz demonstrates, is truly the language of the universe. Infinite Powers makes us marvel at the universe all over again by revealing the fundamentals of that language. It is considered one of the best books on calculus.

Author: Steven Strogatz

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Powers-Calculus-Reveals-Universe/dp/0358299284/

Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 stars (from 1593 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #13,764 in Books

#6 in Calculus (Books)

#17 in Expeditions & Discoveries World History (Books)

#36 in Applied Mathematics (Books)