Algebra to Calculus: Unlocking Math's Amazing Power

Think math is boring? Think again

Algebra to Calculus: Unlocking Math's Amazing Power tells the story of algebra and calculus to explore the surprising, fascinating and sometimes mind-boggling evolution of mathematics through the ages.

How do you make a decision with numbers? You have to use a kind of math called Boolean algebra. It's a little strange because it only ever uses two numbers 1 or 0, and 1+1 always equals 1. Despite this weirdness, this algebra is used to create the nanoscale circuits in every microchip.

Do you want to know more? Written to engage, entertain and enthuse readers young and old, Algebra to Calculus: Unlocking Math's Amazing Power takes an entirely new approach to the wonderful world of mathematics. Along the way, readers will meet with geniuses, such as Diophantus and Newton, who figured out how to turn math problems into general techniques that worked whatever the situation. Readers will not only learn how computer chips process their programs, but also how a smartphone knows where it is, what the link is between snowflakes, cannonballs and wine barrels, and how Carl Gauss figured out how to add up all the numbers between 1 and 100 in less than a minute when he was just 10 years old Algebra to Calculus: Unlocking Math's Amazing Power shows there is a lot more going on than just x + y = z.


About the Author
Dr. Mike Goldsmith is a science writer and former head of the U.K.'s National Physical Laboratory, where he specialized in astronomy and the science of sound. In his many nonfiction books for children, Mike engages with a wide range of topics, including mathematics, space exploration, time travel and the history of science. Mike received a PhD in astrophysics from Keele University in the U.K. He lives in Twickenham, London.

Tom Jackson, series editor, is a science and technology writer based in the United Kingdom. Tom specializes in recasting these subjects into lively historical narratives by uncovering lively stories that help to create new ways to enjoy the sciences. He studied at the University of Bristol and still lives in the city with his wife and three children.