Rich in historical detail and bursting with intellectual passion, this captivating novel describes a genius's valiant quest for truth in post-Napoleon France, a turbulent and uncertain era that in many ways mirrors the world today.

In 2010, French mathematician Cédric Villani received the Fields Medal, the most coveted prize in mathematics, in recognition of a proof which he devised with his close collaborator Clément Mouhot to explain one of the most surprising theories in classical physics. Birth of aTheorem is Villani's own account of the years leading up to the award. It invites readers inside the mind of a great mathematician as he wrestles with the most important work of his career. But you don't have to understand nonlinear Landau damping to love Birth of aTheorem. It doesn't simplify or overexplain; rather, it invites readers into collaboration. Villani's diaries, emails, and musings enmesh you in the process of discovery. You join him in unproductive lulls and late-night breakthroughs. You're privy to the dining-hall conversations at the world's greatest research institutions. Villani shares his favorite songs, his love of manga, and the imaginative stories he tells his children. In mathematics, as in any creative work, it is the thinker's whole life that propels discovery—and with Birth of aTheorem, Cédric Villani welcomes you into his.

*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive." - Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal's time on earth may have been brief - no more than 39 years - but this unconventionally educated, yet brilliant scientist, mathematician, and man of letters accomplished more than most people could hope to achieve in two lifetimes. The SI unit of pressure, Pascal, is named after this polymath, and he is the namesake of a procedural programming language designed by Niklaus Wirth between the years of 1968 and 1969. On top of the countless busts, statues, and plaques erected in his honor, several institutions bear his name, as does a university in his hometown of Clermont-Ferrand. The Blaise Pascal Chairs, a glittering accolade awarded to exceptional international scientists every year, was also established in his honor. How did Blaise Pascal leave such a legacy in such a short amount of time? Blaise Pascal: The Life and Legacy of the Legendary French Mathematician and Theologian examines the life and work that made him one of modern history's most important figures. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Pascal like never before.

The pioneering work of Pierre de Fermat has attracted the attention of mathematicians for over 350 years. This book provides an overview of the many properties of Fermat numbers and demonstrates their applications in areas such as number theory, probability theory, geometry, and signal processing. It is an ideal introduction to the basic mathematical ideas and algebraic methods connected with the Fermat numbers.

Combinatorics is a subject of increasing importance because of its links with computer science, statistics, and algebra. This textbook stresses common techniques (such as generating functions and recursive construction) that underlie the great variety of subject matter, and the fact that a constructive or algorithmic proof is more valuable than an existence proof. The author emphasizes techniques as well as topics and includes many algorithms described in simple terms. The text should provide essential background for students in all parts of discrete mathematics.

The great work that founded analytical geometry. Includes the original French text, Descartes' own diagrams, and the definitive Smith-Latham translation. "The greatest single step ever made in the progress of the exact sciences." — John Stuart Mill.