A celebration of the state of mathematics at the end of the millennium. Produced under the auspices of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), the book was born as part of the activities of World Mathematical Year 2000. It consists of 28 articles written by influential mathematicians.

Tracing the development of mathematics from a biographical standpoint, Mathematics Frontiers: 1950 to the Present profiles innovators from the second half of the 20th century who made significant discoveries in both pure and applied mathematics. From John H. Conway, who helped complete the classification of all finite groups (and invented The Game of Life board game), to Stephen Hawking, who established the mathematical basis for black holes, to Fan Chung, who developed an encoding and decoding algorithm for cell phone calls, this lively survey of contemporary minds behind the math is ideal for middle and high school students seeking resources for research or general interest.

These proceedings reflect the special session on Experimental Mathematics held January 5, 2009, at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC as well as some papers specially solicited for this volume. Experimental Mathematics is a recently structured field of Mathematics that uses the computer and advanced computing technology as a tool to perform experiments. These include the analysis of examples, testing of new ideas, and the search of patterns to suggest results and to complement existing analytical rigor. The development of a broad spectrum of mathematical software products, such as MathematicaR and MapleTM, has allowed mathematicians of diverse backgrounds and interests to use the computer as an essential tool as part of their daily work environment. This volume reflects a wide range of topics related to the young field of Experimental Mathematics. The use of computation varies from aiming to exclude human input in the solution of a problem to traditional mathematical questions for which computation is a prominent tool.

Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist. Fascinating from first to last—this is a book that has already prompted the attention and admiration of some of the most prominent scientists and mathematicians.

A delightful tour of the greatest ideas of math, showing how math intersects with philosophy, science, art, business, current events, and everyday life, by an acclaimed science communicator and regular contributor to the "New York Times."