Mathematicians like to point out that mathematics is universal. In spite of this, most people continue to view it as either mundane (balancing a checkbook) or mysterious (cryptography). This fifth volume of the What's Happening series contradicts that view by showing that mathematics is indeed found everywhere-in science, art, history, and our everyday lives. Here is some of what you'll find in this volume: Mathematics and Science Mathematical biology: Mathematics was key tocracking the genetic code. Now, new mathematics is needed to understand the three-dimensional structure of the proteins produced from that code. Celestial mechanics and cosmology: New methods have revealed a multitude of solutions to the three-body problem. And other new work may answer one of cosmology'smost fundamental questions: What is the size and shape of the universe? Mathematics and Everyday Life Traffic jams: New models are helping researchers understand where traffic jams come from-and maybe what to do about them! Small worlds: Researchers have found a short distance from theory to applications in the study of small world networks. Elegance in Mathematics Beyond Fermat's Last Theorem: Number theorists are reaching higher ground after Wiles' astounding 1994 proof: new developments inthe elegant world of elliptic curves and modular functions. The Millennium Prize Problems: The Clay Mathematics Institute has offered a million dollars for solutions to seven important and difficult unsolved problems. These are just some of the topics of current interest that are covered in thislatest volume of What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences. The book has broad appeal for a wide spectrum of mathematicians and scientists, from high school students through advanced-level graduates and researchers.

This document consists of the first two volumes of a new annual serial devoted to surveying some of the important developments in the mathematical sciences in the previous year or so. Mathematics is constantly growing and changing, reaching out to other areas of science and helping to solve some of the major problems facing society. Volumes 1 and 2 survey some of the important developments in the mathematical sciences over the past year or so. The contents of volume 1 are: (1) "Equations Come to Life in Mathematical Biology"; (2) "New Computer Insights from 'Transparent' Proofs"; (3) "You Can't Always Hear the Shape of a Drum"; (4) "Environmentally Sound Mathematics"; (5) "Disproving the Obvious in Higher Dimensions"; (6) "Collaboration Closes in on Closed Geodesics"; (7)"Crystal Clear Computations"; (8) "Camp Geometry"; (9) "Number Theorists Uncover a Slew of Prime Impostors"; and (10) "Map-Coloring Theorists Look at New Worlds." The contents of volume 2 are: (1) "A Truly Remarkable Proof" (Fermat's Last Theorem); (2) "From Knot to Unknot"; (3) "New Wave Mathematics"; (4) "Mathematical Insights for Medical Imaging"; (5) "Parlez-vous Wavelets?" (6) "Random Algorithms Leave Little to Chance"; (7) "Soap Solution"; (8) "Straightening Out Nonlinear Codes"; (9) "Quite Easily Done"; and (10) "(Vector) Field of Dreams." (MKR)

This volume covers a new class of solitons, the contributions wavelets are making to solving scientific problems, how mathematics is improving medical imaging, and Andrew Wiles's work on Fermat's "Last Theorem". This work is aimed at undergraduates, graduate students and mathematics clubs.

A new twist in knot theory -- Error-term roulette and the Sato-Tate conjecture -- The fifty-one percent solution -- Dominos, anyone? -- No seeing is believing -- Getting with the (Mori) program -- The book that time couldn't erase -- Charting a 248-dimensional world -- Compressed sensing makes every pixel count.

Nick Higham follows up his successful HWMS volume with this much-anticipated second edition.

The mathematical sciences are part of everyday life. Modern communication, transportation, science, engineering, technology, medicine, manufacturing, security, and finance all depend on the mathematical sciences. Fueling Innovation and Discovery describes recent advances in the mathematical sciences and advances enabled by mathematical sciences research. It is geared toward general readers who would like to know more about ongoing advances in the mathematical sciences and how these advances are changing our understanding of the world, creating new technologies, and transforming industries. Although the mathematical sciences are pervasive, they are often invoked without an explicit awareness of their presence. Prepared as part of the study on the Mathematical Sciences in 2025, a broad assessment of the current state of the mathematical sciences in the United States, Fueling Innovation and Discovery presents mathematical sciences advances in an engaging way. The report describes the contributions that mathematical sciences research has made to advance our understanding of the universe and the human genome. It also explores how the mathematical sciences are contributing to healthcare and national security, and the importance of mathematical knowledge and training to a range of industries, such as information technology and entertainment. Fueling Innovation and Discovery will be of use to policy makers, researchers, business leaders, students, and others interested in learning more about the deep connections between the mathematical sciences and every other aspect of the modern world. To function well in a technologically advanced society, every educated person should be familiar with multiple aspects of the mathematical sciences.

A Challenge of Numbers describes the circumstances and issues centered on people in the mathematical sciences, principally students and teachers at U.S. colleges and universities. A healthy flow of mathematical talent is crucial not only to the future of U.S. mathematics but also as a keystone supporting a technological workforce. Trends in the mathematical sciences' most valuable resourceâ€"its peopleâ€"are presented narratively, graphically, and numerically as an information base for policymakers and for those interested in the people in this not very visible, but critical profession.