a brilliant and entertaining mathematician illuminates seven mathematical principles that shape our lives kit yates shows how our private and social lives are suffused by mathematics ignorance may bring tragedy or farce this is an exquisitely interesting book it s a deeply serious one too and for those like me who have little math it s delightfully readable ian mcewan author of atonement kit yates is a natural storyteller through fascinating stories and examples he shows how maths is the beating heart of so much of modern life an exciting new voice in the world of science communication marcus du sautoy author of the music of the primesfrom birthdays to birth rates to how we perceive the passing of time mathematical patterns shape our lives but for those of us who left math behind in high school the numbers and figures hurled at us as we go about our days can sometimes leave us scratching our heads and feeling as if we re fumbling through a mathematical minefield in this eye opening and extraordinarily accessible book mathemati cian kit yates illuminates hidden principles that can help us understand and navigate the chaotic and often opaque surfaces of our world in the math of life and death yates takes us on a fascinating tour of everyday situations and grand scale applications of mathematical concepts including exponential growth and decay optimization statistics and probability and number systems along the way he reveals the mathematical undersides of controversies over dna testing medical screening results and historical events such as the chernobyl disaster and the amanda knox trial readers will finish this book with an enlightened perspective on the news the law medicine and history and will be better equipped to make personal decisions and solve problems with math in mind whether it s choosing the shortest checkout line at the grocery store or halting the spread of a deadly disease
kit yates
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