The universe in zero words. The story of mathematics as told through equations (Q2884701)

This nice book invites readers to explore the beauty of the most influential mathematical equations. Dr. Dana Mackenzie, who became a full-time writer after being a mathematics professor for thirteen years, writes in the introduction: ``Equations are the lifeblood of mathematics and science. They are the brush strokes that mathematicians use to create their art, or the secret code that they use to express their ideas about the universe. The rest of the world, outside of science, does not speak the language of equations, and thus a vast cultural gap has emerged between those who understand them and those who do not. This book is an attempt to build a bridge across that chasm. It is intended for the reader who would like to understand mathematics on its own terms, and who would like to appreciate mathematics as an art.''NEWLINENEWLINEAlthough mathematics has numerous branches, all known for their beauty, significance, and abundance of important equations, the author decided to limit his selection only to four. ``I consider the four main tributaries of mathematics to be algebra, geometry, applied mathematics, and analysis. All four of them mingle together and cooperate in a most wonderful way, and witnessing this interaction is one of the great joys of being a mathematician. Nearly every mathematician finds himself drawn more to one of these tributaries than the others, but the beauty and power of the subject undoubtedly derives from all four. For that reason, the four chapters in this book each have a theme, or ``storyline'' running throughout, relating the evolution of the four branches over the ages.'' This book tells the story of twenty four beautiful and powerful equations that may be regarded as milestones in the development of mathematics, science and society.NEWLINENEWLINERecently, I had a pleasure of reviewing another nice book by Professor Stewart [\textit{I. Stewart}, Seventeen equations that changed the world. London: Profile Books (2012; Zbl 1256.00003)] where the stories of some equations discussed in this volume can be found. It was really interesting to compare the selection of equations by two authors. As Dr. Mackenzie explains, ``the choice of equations was necessarily a matter of individual taste and preference.'' Some of criteria he used ``to decide what makes an equation great'' are listed below.NEWLINENEWLINE``1. It is surprising. [\dots] [It] tells us something that we did not know before. 2. It is concise. [\dots] It contains nothing but the essentials. 3. It is consequential. [\dots] The equations that make the deepest impression are the ones that revolutionize mathematics, change our view of the world, or change the material possibilities of our lives. 4. It is universal. [\dots] An equation proven today will remain true forever.''NEWLINENEWLINEEquations picked for this volume range from elementary, \(1+1=2,\) known to preschoolers, to inspirational Fermat's last theorem \(x^{n}+y^{n}=z^{n},\) still fascinating thousands of amateurs, to exquisitely sophisticated Chern-Gauss-Bonnet equation \(\int_{\mathcal{M}}Pf\left( \Omega\right) =\left( 2\pi\right) ^{n}\chi\left( \mathcal{M}\right) \) that allows to deduce information about the shape of the universe if the curvature at each point is given. The book is written in a very transparent and elegant manner; it is both enjoyable and informative reading. The reader will absolutely love exciting historical facts and excellent illustrations, diagrams, pictures carefully selected by the author. The volume concludes with a useful bibliography and a helpful index. A very entertaining text that appeals not only to mathematics enthusiasts, but also to a wide audience with a quite limited mathematical background.