The Mathematical Mechanic: Using Physical Reasoning to Solve Problems
By Mark Levi
4.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Everybody knows that mathematics is indispensable to physics--imagine where we'd be today if Einstein and Newton didn't have the math to back up their ideas. But how many people realize that physics can be used to produce many astonishing and strikingly elegant solutions in mathematics? Mark Levi shows how in this delightful book, treating readers to a host of entertaining problems and mind-bending puzzlers that will amuse and inspire their inner physicist.
Levi turns math and physics upside down, revealing how physics can simplify proofs and lead to quicker solutions and new theorems, and how physical solutions can illustrate why results are true in ways lengthy mathematical calculations never can. Did you know it's possible to derive the Pythagorean theorem by spinning a fish tank filled with water? Or that soap film holds the key to determining the cheapest container for a given volume? Or that the line of best fit for a data set can be found using a mechanical contraption made from a rod and springs? Levi demonstrates how to use physical intuition to solve these and other fascinating math problems. More than half the problems can be tackled by anyone with precalculus and basic geometry, while the more challenging problems require some calculus. This one-of-a-kind book explains physics and math concepts where needed, and includes an informative appendix of physical principles.
The Mathematical Mechanic will appeal to anyone interested in the little-known connections between mathematics and physics and how both endeavors relate to the world around us.
Mark Levi
Mark Levi is professor of mathematics at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of The Mathematical Mechanic: Using Physical Reasoning to Solve Problems.
Read more from Mark Levi
Why Cats Land on Their Feet: And 76 Other Physical Paradoxes and Puzzles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Mathematical Mechanic
Related ebooks
Elliptic Tales: Curves, Counting, and Number Theory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In Praise of Simple Physics: The Science and Mathematics behind Everyday Questions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classical Mechanics: 2nd Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elementary Statistical Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Introduction to Stochastic Processes in Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Statistical Physics: A Probabilistic Approach Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSumming It Up: From One Plus One to Modern Number Theory Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5General Relativity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Philosophy of Physics: Space and Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reverse Mathematics: Proofs from the Inside Out Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elements of Mathematics: From Euclid to Gödel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Mathematicians Think: Using Ambiguity, Contradiction, and Paradox to Create Mathematics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Passion for Mathematics: Numbers, Puzzles, Madness, Religion, and the Quest for Reality Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Princeton Companion to Mathematics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Introduction to Modern Physics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Prelude to Mathematics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Physics for Students of Science and Engineering Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Princeton Problems in Physics with Solutions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Feynman Lectures Simplified 4A: Math for Physicists Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5100 Great Problems of Elementary Mathematics Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5An Imaginary Tale: The Story of √-1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Euclid's Window: The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gravitation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5University Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mathematics and the Physical World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Calculus Lifesaver: All the Tools You Need to Excel at Calculus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Solve Mathematical Problems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mathematics of Various Entertaining Subjects: Research in Recreational Math Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Physics For You
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Step By Step Mixing: How to Create Great Mixes Using Only 5 Plug-ins Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Physics I For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Physics for Beginners Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Reality Revolution: The Mind-Blowing Movement to Hack Your Reality Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Physics: A Beginners Guide to How Quantum Physics Affects Everything around Us Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Quantum Computing For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWelcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5String Theory For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Physics Essentials For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5DIY Lithium Battery Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic, Second Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quantum Spirituality: Science, Gnostic Mysticism, and Connecting with Source Consciousness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Feynman Lectures Simplified 1A: Basics of Physics & Newton's Laws Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Physics Book: From the Big Bang to Quantum Resurrection, 250 Milestones in the History of Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What the Bleep Do We Know!?™: Discovering the Endless Possibilities for Altering Your Everyday Reality Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unlocking Spanish with Paul Noble Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The God Effect: Quantum Entanglement, Science's Strangest Phenomenon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Moving Through Parallel Worlds To Achieve Your Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Theory of Relativity: And Other Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Mathematical Mechanic
7 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Good!