Terence Tao distills mathematics into six ideas that explain the world
Six Math Essentials by Terence Tao
Fields Medalist Terence Tao's new book, Six Math Essentials, walks general readers through six foundational concepts: numbers for quantitative thinking, algebra for abstraction, geometry for calculating beyond the visible, probability for navigating uncertainty, analysis for taming the very large and very small, and dynamics for the mathematics of change. Published by Quanta Books, the slim 128-page volume is aimed at anyone who wants to make sense of a complex world.
In Six Math Essentials, the renowned mathematician and Fields Medalist Terence Tao introduces readers to six central concepts that have guided mathematicians from antiquity to the frontiers of what we know today and now help us make sense of our complex world.
- tveita
I quite liked this interview:
Terence Tao explains 6 essential mathematical concepts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOMx2BHHWtE
- flowerlad
The amazon preview [1] does not even show the contents page. How am I supposed to check if I might be interested in this book?
- stldev
I pre-ordered some time ago, and received a copy this morning. I love it.
It's direct and well-written; a high-level overview of mathematics from numbers to analysis and dynamics. I think it's well organized, if brief at ~100pp.
This would be a great read for laypeople as well as a potential gap-filler for anyone in STEM.
- koolba
What age range or skill level is this targeting?
- prideout
I heard he was writing a book about the Cosmic Distance Ladder. I was looking forward to that, I hope this isn't what it evolved into.