The Mathematics Of Everyday Life

Two experienced math educators help the average reader discover not only the everyday usefulness of math but the fun that comes from mastering the basics of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and more. If you think of mathematics as a series of pointless classroom exercises without much relevance to real life, this book will change your mind. As the authors show, math is deeply embedded in almost every aspect of daily life--from managing your personal finances, making consumer purchases, and sharpening your computational skills, to learning to apply mathematical concepts that will give you a better grasp of both ordinary and extraordinary events and help you better appreciate the world we live in. With some basic geometry under your belt, you'll discover that there is an optimal point on a soccer field from which to shoot a goal. And you'll be more clever with the gears of a bike. If you like to play cards or go to the casino, knowing something about probability will give you an edge. You'll also have an enhanced understanding of the "whispering effect" inside the Capitol rotunda, why a car's headlights are so bright, and even why sewer covers are round. After reading this entertaining and instructive book, you'll come away with a whole new awareness of how elegantly mathematics explains everyday experiences and observations--from present day items to classical art and architecture.

'Stewart is Britain's most brilliant and prolific populariser of maths' Alex Bellos 'The instructive equivalent of a Michelin-starred tasting menu' Tim Radford Many people think mathematics is useless. They're wrong. In the UK, the 2.8 million people employed in mathematical science occupations contributed £208 billion to the economy in a single year - that's 10 per cent of the workforce contributing 16 per cent of the economy. What's the Use? asks why there is such a vast gulf between public perceptions of mathematics and reality. It shows how mathematics is vital, often in surprising ways, behind the scenes of daily life. How politicians pick their voters. How an absurd little puzzle solved 300 years ago leads to efficient methods for kidney transplants. And how a bizarre, infinitely wiggly curve helps to optimise deliveries to your door.

With Math in Everyday Life, students apply basic math skills to all aspects of everyday life. Students use realistic and accurate forms, worksheets, and other paperwork to help build an understanding of an comfort level with the forms and related math applications that are part of daily living.

From atom bombs to rebounding slinkies, open your eyes to the mathematical magic in the everyday. Mathematics isn't just for academics and scientists, a fact meteorologist and blogger Peter Lynch has spent the past several years proving through his Irish Times newspaper column and blog, That's Maths.Here, he shows how maths is all around us, with chapters on the beautiful equations behind designing a good concert venue, predicting the stock market and modelling the atom bomb, as well as playful meditations on everything from coin-stacking to cartography. If you left school thinking maths was boring, think again!

"Few of us really appreciate the full power of math--the extent to which its influence is not only in every office and every home, but also in every courtroom and hospital ward. In this ... book, Kit Yates explores the true stories of life-changing events in which the application--or misapplication--of mathematics has played a critical role: patients crippled by faulty genes and entrepreneurs bankrupted by faulty algorithms; innocent victims of miscarriages of justice; and the unwitting victims of software glitches"--Publisher marketing.

A brilliant tour of mathematical thought and a guide to becoming a better thinker, How Not to Be Wrong shows that math is not just a long list of rules to be learned and carried out by rote. Math touches everything we do; It's what makes the world make sense. Using the mathematician's methods and hard-won insights-minus the jargon-professor and popular columnist Jordan Ellenberg guides general readers through his ideas with rigor and lively irreverence, infusing everything from election results to baseball to the existence of God and the psychology of slime molds with a heightened sense of clarity and wonder. Armed with the tools of mathematics, we can see the hidden structures beneath the messy and chaotic surface of our daily lives. How Not to Be Wrong shows us how--Publisher's description.

For everyone who’s ever said, “I’m no good with numbers,” here’s a practical, user-friendly field guide to the math you really need. Your dinner bill came to $78.35, plus tip, divided amongst you and two friends. So how did you end up paying $50? In life, there are plenty of instances where a quick calculation would come in handy. Contrary to popular belief, the ability to calculate a tip, eyeball square area, or convert kilometers to miles—without using your fingers or moving your lips—is not inborn. Everyday math skills can be painlessly learned and easily mastered, transforming you from a person who doesn’t know the meaning of APR into someone who understands credit card rates and their long-term impact on your wallet. Broken into sections which review basic arithmetic from fractions to percents, provide situational problems from cooking to gambling, and demystify terms from statistics to relative magnitude to probability, this is the one guide that anyone who took “Math for English majors” can’t live without.

"A compilation of everyday events analyzed for their probability of occurring. The odds are determined using mathematical equations and science. An entertaining illustrated reference to the role of mathematics in everyday life. Topics examined are: the human condition, sports and games, traveling from A to B, digital technology, chance and coincidence, and more."--