Nurture Your Love For Mathematics With These Classic Books

Mathematics is full of challenges, beauty, and surprises. If you have a love for this study of patterns and numbers, here are a few books at which you must take a look.

Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea. | Charles Seife

This book will surely make anyone fall in love with mathematics instantly. Even if you have already known some of the subjects covered in this book, the way the author presents them may still fascinate you and make you laugh. For those who think math is dry, Seife’s funny writing style will make you reconsider that view.

Reading history may not to everyone’s liking but this section in Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea is fascinating enough to capture your focus. The book starts with the way humans got used to counting and numbers. You can also know more about Euler, Newton, Archimedes, and Laplace.

Measurement | Paul Lockhart

This book talks about how math should be taught in school, but non-teachers can find it useful too. The author expressed a fierce criticism of the way students are learning this subject in schools.

According to Paul Lockhart, math is a life-long love, so it should be treated as an art form rather than something you memorize. He supports the idea of using students’ natural curiosity to encourage them to dig deeper into this subject rather than sticking to the traditional way of teaching.

High school and college students should consider Measurement a reference book and read it again and again whenever they feel like it.

Lockhart can charm you and inspire you to learn more about math with just one single book.

Prelude to Mathematics | W.W. Sawyer

This is one of the classics, but it is fascinating to read too. The book is about the way a mathematician thinks and how one can grow to be a mathematician. Prelude to Mathematics is a good read for almost anyone regardless of their level of familiar with math.

Proofs from The Book | Aigner, and Ziegler

You will feel like stepping into a whole new world with this book. It contains the best proofs, only covering many different fields of math. However, to make sense of Proofs from the Book, one must arm themselves with basic knowledge of linear algebra and calculus first. Otherwise, this book will become extremely hard to follow.

What sets this book apart is the way the authors simplify the world’s most famous proofs and turn them into something you can easily solve without reaching for a pen and a piece of paper.

This book received lots of praises, and it is worth all of that love.

The Joy of x | Steven Strogatz

The Joy of x is a wonderful book for a beginner who wants something simple yet inspiring to nurture their interest in math.

What covered in this book was from a blog. Each chapter will talk about a particular matter only and is complemented by Steven Strogatz’s concise writing style.

However, if you have already been familiar with math and wish to challenge yourself, you might want to look elsewhere.

Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension | Matt Parker

This is another suitable book for beginners, as all matters are presented clearly. Each chapter talks about a separate matter in math, and the author makes use of everyday life issues as examples. This book contains exciting activities to do with other members of your family.

A History of π | Petr Beckmann

It may come as a surprise that some mathematicians could spend their whole life studying π. This number is entirely ignored by some, challenged many, and had forced a lot of people to think outside the box. Now, you can find π in many formulas in both math and physics.

If you have A-level math skills, this book should not confuse you.

An Imaginary Tale | Paul Nahin

x² + 1 = 0.

This is one of the fascinating equations for many mathematicians and people with love for math alike. An Imaginary Tale fits Calculus students perfectly, and they might find themselves reading it more than once.

This book will provide you with more information on Euler and the ways many others deal with the number i.

An Imaginary Tale is a combination of calculus and history. It can help you appreciate the effort mathematicians had to pay to come up with i.

e: The Story of a Number | Eli Maor

You may think this book is all about the number e, but it is actually not. The study of e only accounts for half of the book. The other half is dedicated to rational, irrational numbers, and first numbers. In some parts of the book, you may feel like you are reading a history book with events and people are at the center.

Imagining Numbers | Barry Mazur

If you like imaginary numbers, this is the book for you. It provides you with an insight into the square root of negative numbers and gives you a general idea of how impressive these numbers can be.

Journey Through Genius | William Dunham

This is a must-read for anyone who likes math, but it will be a particularly enjoyable one for those who are into history.

If you can recall what you studied in high school, Journey through Genius should be understandable. It is another book that can inspire anyone to learn more about math by providing readers with the fascinating aspects of this subject. Famous mathematicians’ life, work, and the connection between the two are all presented in this book in a way that can captivate the attention of most people.

History can sometimes be boring, but it is no more with this book. For those who are starting with math, this book can be a great introduction to the large and complex world of math.

Prime Obsession | John Derbyshire

This book can charm you after just two chapters. Prime Obsession requires college-level math knowledge, and if you are of that level, this book cannot be recommended highly enough.