Numbers are integral to our everyday lives and feature in everything we do. In this Very Short Introduction Peter M. Higgins, the renowned mathematics writer, unravels the world of numbers; demonstrating its richness, and providing a comprehensive view of the idea of the number. Higgins paints a picture of the number world, considering how the modern number system matured over centuries. Explaining the various number types and showing how they behave, he introduces key concepts such as integers, fractions, real numbers, and imaginary numbers. By approaching the topic in a non-technical way and emphasising the basic principles and interactions of numbers with mathematics and science, Higgins also demonstrates the practical interactions and modern applications, such as encryption of confidential data on the internet.
Table of Contents
1. How not to think about numbers: the trouble with bases; 2. The unending series of primes; 3. Perfect and not so perfect numbers; 4. Cryptography: the secret life of the primes; 5. Numbers that count; 6. A peek below the waterline of the number iceberg; 7. To infinity and beyond; 8. Numbers but not as we know them; Further Reading; Index
