The Mathematical Mechanic - Mark Levi torrent

The Mathematical Mechanic: Using Physical Reasoning to Solve Problems

by Mark Levi.

#Pages : 200
#Publisher : Princeton University Press; 1 edition (2009)
#ISBN-13: 978-0691140209


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