How the Other Half Thinks

by Sherman K. Stein

'Some topics in advanced mathematics require nothing more than arithmetic and common sense. How the Other Half Thinks makes use of this phenomenon to offer both the mathematically adept and mathematical beginner eight fascinating illustrations of the mathematical way. Each chapter starts with a question about strings made up of nothing more than two letters. This question in turn suggests thought-provoking problems. After these problems are explored and solved, the author shows how the related mathematics has been applied in areas as varied as computers, cell phones, measurement of astronomical distances, and cell growth.An experienced educator, prize-winning expositor, and researcher, Stein engagingly presents each concept. The leisurely pace allows a reader to move slowly through each chapter, omitting no steps. This approach makes complex concepts like topology, set theory, and probability accessible and exciting. The book creates a bridge across the gulf between the two cultures: h