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Humble pi: when math goes wrong in the real world

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Our whole world is built on math, from the code running a website to the equations enabling the design of skyscrapers and bridges. Most of the time this math works quietly behind the scenes . . . until it doesn’t. All sorts of seemingly innocuous mathematical mistakes can have significant consequences.

Math is easy to ignore until a misplaced decimal point upends the stock market, a unit conversion error causes a plane to crash, or someone divides by zero and stalls a battleship in the middle of the ocean.

Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman Empire, and an Olympic team, Matt Parker uncovers the bizarre ways math trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Getting it wrong has never been more fun

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Availability

Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

510 PAR h

Publisher

New York : Riverhead Books., 2020

Collation

336 p. ; ill. ; 21 cm

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

9780593084694

Classification

500

Content Type

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Media Type

-

Carrier Type

-

Edition

Ed. 1

Subject(s)

Mathematics - popular works

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

Matt Parker

Other Information

Level

High School

Book Segment

Reading for pleasure

Reading Level

Independent

Other version/related

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