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BOOKSHELF New and Noteworthy Titles on Our Bookshelf December 2020 BOOKSHELF New and Noteworthy Titles on our Bookshelf December 2020 Republic of Numbers: Unexpected “seduced many readers into ignoring blatant falsehoods Stories of Mathematical Americans and bigoted remarks.” Through History Most of the mathematics discussed in the book can be by David Lindsay Roberts understood by a good calculus student. Occasionally more advanced topics, such as non-Euclidean geometry, Fourier Republic of Numbers consists of analysis, and group theory are mentioned, although the twenty chapters that profile an reader need not have a deep understanding to appreciate eclectic collection of twenty-three the narrative. Overall, Republic of Numbers should appeal Americans who “interacted signifi- to any reader interested in mathematics in its historical cantly with mathematics.” Roberts and social context. endeavors to profile individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Introductory Mathematics and Johns Hopkins, 2019, 252 pages. Cover courtesy of Johns Hopkins courtesy Cover 252 pages. 2019, Johns Hopkins, Press. University Each was influential and, to a Statistics Through Sports greater or lesser degree, “integral to the evolution of math- Supplementary Activities and Writing Projects ematics in this country.” by Tricia Muldoon Brown The profiles are arranged in chronological order, each and Eric B. Kahn being dated to a particular year in which the chapter’s subject had a specific mathematical experience. Republic of This slender book contains a wide Numbers begins with Nathaniel Bowditch, the self-educated variety of sports-related activities mathematician and astronomer who revolutionized ocean and open-ended writing projects navigation. It ends with John Forbes Nash, Jr., whose work aimed at introducing undergrad- on game theory, geometry, and partial differential equa- uate students to statistics, prob- tions remains influential. The chapters in between span ability, and other mathematical Oxford, 2019, 144 pages. Cover courtesy of Oxford University Press. of Oxford University courtesy Cover 144 pages. Oxford, 2019, a wide range, covering, for example, Kelly Miller, the first topics. There are no prerequisites African American to attend Johns Hopkins, and pioneering involved and the book could supplement a mathematics for computer scientist Grace Hopper. Some of the figures pro- liberal arts course or an introductory statistics course. The filed had only brief encounters with mathematics and are two authors have tested this content in the classroom over known for other achievements. For example, Roberts tells the course of nine years. The presentation is terse, and the us of Abraham Lincoln’s career as a surveyor, his “cyphering authors waste no time in getting down to business. Each book,” and his experience with Euclid’s Elements (Lincoln inquiry-based activity is described in a page or two, often wrote in 1860 that he “studied and nearly mastered the with a small table of data. Six-books of Euclid”). The book is divided into eight brief chapters, each about Roberts’ profiles are balanced and nuanced. “I consider ten pages long. After the introduction, which contains sam- every person whom I discuss to be remarkable in some way, ple rubrics devised by the authors, the book tackles graph but not necessarily admirable in all respects,” he says. For theory, voting theory, fair division and apportionment, example, in discussing Eric Temple Bell and his influential financial mathematics, representation of data and summary book Men of Mathematics, Roberts admits that the book statistics, statistical reasoning, and probability. For exam- ple, Brown and Kahn use graph theory to handle Olympic event scheduling, fair division to address college football The Bookshelf is prepared monthly by Notices Associate Editor Stephan recruiting, and probability to predict potential winners Ramon Garcia. in horse racing. Along with the many tables that appear Appearance of a book in the Notices Bookshelf does not represent an en- throughout the book, twenty pages of more substantial dorsement by the Notices or by the AMS. data sets are provided at the end of the book for use with Suggestions for the Bookshelf can be sent to notices-booklist the more involved projects. @ams.org. 1788 NOTICES OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 67, NUMBER 11.
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