Why is the number seven lucky--even holy--in almost every culture? Why do we speak of the four corners of the earth? Why do cats have nine lives (except in Iran, where they have seven)? From literature to folklore to private superstitions, numbers play a conspicuous role in our daily lives. But in this fascinating book, Annemarie Schimmel shows that numbers have been filled with mystery and meaning since the earliest times, and across every society. In The Mystery of Numbers Annemarie Schimmel conducts an illuminating tour of the mysteries attributed to numbers over the centuries. She begins with an informative and often surprising introduction to the origins of number systems: pre-Roman Europeans, for example, may have had one based on twenty, not ten (as suggested by the English word "score" and the French word for 80, quatrevingt --four times twenty), while the Mayans had a system more sophisticated than our own. Schimmel also reveals how our fascination with numbers has led to a rich cross-fertilization of mathematical knowledge: "Arabic" numerals, for instance, were picked up by Europe from the Arabs, who had earlier adopted them from Indian sources ("Algorithm" and "algebra" are corruptions of the Arabic author and title names of a mathematical text prized in medieval Europe). But the heart of the book is an engrossing guide to the symbolism of numbers. Number symbolism, she shows, has deep roots in Western culture, from the philosophy of the Pythagoreans and Platonists, to the religious mysticism of the Cabala and the Islamic Brethren of Purity, to Kepler's belief that the laws of planetary motion should be mathematically elegant, to the unlucky thirteen. After exploring the sources of number symbolism, Schimmel examines individual numbers ranging from one to ten thousand, discussing the meanings they have had for Judaic, Christian, and Islamic traditions, with examples from Indian, Chinese, and Native American cultures as well. Two, for instance, has widely been seen as a number of contradiction and polarity, a number of discord and antithesis. And six, according to ancient and neo-platonic thinking, is the most perfect number because it is both the sum and the product of its parts (1+2+3=6 and 1x2x3=6). Using examples ranging from the Bible to the Mayans to Shakespeare, she shows how numbers have been considered feminine and masculine, holy and evil, lucky and unlucky. A highly respected scholar of Islamic culture, Annemarie Schimmel draws on her vast knowledge to paint a rich, cross-cultural portrait of the many meanings of numbers. Engaging and accessible, her account uncovers the roots of a phenomenon we all feel every Friday the thirteenth.

What is it that brings all these different things together? The subatomic particles and the Vedic square. The hydrogen atom and the golden section. Fibonacci numbers, consciousness, and alchemy. Nikola Tesla, music, and the ether. Electromagnetism, gravity, and the fourth dimension. The procession of the equinox, the Mayan dooms day, the Hindu Brahma cycle, and Atlantis. It is Numbers, or more precisely; their Digital Root. In this book the author examines the amazing world of numbers, particularly those which have intrigued and fascinated ancient and modern mathematicians alike. However, he does it from a very novel point of view; by implementing the digital root operation, in which the individual digits of any of these numbers are summed up until a single digit is left over. The author will show that when applying this simple operation to magical numbers, and to many other groups of numbers, an amazing world of hidden interconnections; repetition cycles; numerical symmetries; and geometrical patterns emerge. Especially when the geometrical (the circle) and the numerical aspects of the digital root world are combined together. It is in this circular/numerical world where numbers, individually and collectively, exist in their most basic, yet perfect and symmetrical states, and where the basic nine numbers are differentiated into three groups of amazing properties, which will be shown to underlie the essence of the whole universe; from the atom and its forces to the solar system and its geometry. This book will take us on a numerical and spiritual journey: starting from prime and figurate numbers; to Fibonacci sequence and the golden section; to alchemy and the Mayan calendar; to the atoms and its forces, along with the ether and the fourth dimension. In addition, the author will show how these new revelations of the digital root world are corroborating the numerological and mystical qualities that have been attributed to numbers by philosophers and mystics throughout the ages. This book will paint a so holistic and meaningful image of the world that will forever change our perception, not only towards numbers, but towards the whole universe as well.

A meditation on the beauty and meaning of numbers, exploring mathematical equations, describing some of the mathematical discoveries of the past millennia, and pondering philosophical questions about the relation of numbers to the universe.

An exploration of the origins and influences of number from prehistory to modern time • Reveals the deeper meaning of the symbols and esoteric knowledge of secret societies • Explains the numerical sophistication of ancient monuments • Shows how the Templar design for Washington, D.C., represents the New Jerusalem The ubiquitous use of certain sacred numbers and ratios can be found throughout history, influencing everything from art and architecture to the development of religion and secret societies. In Sacred Number and the Origins of Civilization, Richard Heath reveals the origins, widespread influences, and deeper meaning of these synchronous numerical occurrences and how they were left within our planetary environment during the creation of the earth, the moon, and our solar system. Exploring astronomy, harmony, geomancy, sacred centers, and myth, Heath reveals the secret use of sacred number knowledge in the building of Gothic cathedrals and the important influence of sacred numbers in the founding of modern Western culture. He explains the role secret societies play as a repository for this numerical information and how those who attempt to decode its meaning without understanding the planetary origins of this knowledge are left with contradictory, cryptic, and often deceptive information. By examining prehistoric and monumental cultures through the Dark Ages and later recorded history, Sacred Number and the Origins of Civilization provides a key to understanding the true role and meaning of number.

The Mystery of the Prime Numbers uses an innovative visual approach to communicate some surprisingly advanced mathematical ideas without any need for formulas or equations. The issue of prime numbers acts as a gateway into some truly strange philosophical territory whose relevance extends well beyond mathematics.

Every time we download music, take a flight across the Atlantic or talk on our cell phones, we are relying on great mathematical inventions. In The Number Mysteries, one of our generation's foremost mathematicians Marcus du Sautoy offers a playful and accessible examination of numbers and how, despite efforts of the greatest minds, the most fundamental puzzles of nature remain unsolved. Du Sautoy tells about the quest to predict the future—from the flight of asteroids to an impending storm, from bending a ball like Beckham to forecasting population growth. He brings to life the beauty behind five mathematical puzzles that have contributed to our understanding of the world around us and have helped develop the technology to cope with it. With loads of games to play and puzzles to solve, this is a math book for everyone.

At Sifu Faiza's Kung Fu School, kids learn to be strong and fast. They also learn to be smart, cool-headed, and honest. So Joy, Adam, Sam, and Amy are surprised when the key to the school is stolen—as well as all their kung fu gear. Now they'll have to use all kinds of calculations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—to figure out the clues, follow the thieves, and find . . . The Lost Key.