Monday, September 10, 2018

The Computer As Crucible

The Computer as Crucible: An Introduction to Experimental MathematicsThe Computer as Crucible: An Introduction to Experimental Mathematics by Jonathan M. Borwein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mathematics is that domain of science that is usually thought to be purely of the mind, but increasingly computers are helping mathematicians by identifying sequences, providing insights into complex systems, assisting with proofs and much more. This book gives a small peek into how the machines are, nowadays, been used and how.

Written in a clear style with numerous examples, the book reads easily and quickly and makes frequent references to other publications, often written by one of or both the authors. In addition, each chapter ends with a few exercises, some of which I have found to be rather challenging.

While this is probably not a book you will read to get a good grasp on "computer assisted mathematics", it is an interesting introduction to it.

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