The Mathematical Mechanic - Mark Levi

The Mathematical Mechanic: Using Physical Reasoning to Solve Problems



by Mark Levi.



#Pages : 200

#Publisher : Princeton University Press; 1 edition (2009)

#ISBN-13: 978-0691140209Everybody knows that mathematics is indispensable to physics--imagine where we'd



be today if Einstein and Newton didn't have the math to back up their ideas. But



how many people realize that physics can be used to produce many astonishing and



strikingly elegant solutions in mathematics? Mark Levi shows how in this



delightful book, treating readers to a host of entertaining problems and



mind-bending puzzlers that will amuse and inspire their inner physicist.Levi turns math and physics upside down, revealing how physics can simplify



proofs and lead to quicker solutions and new theorems, and how physical



solutions can illustrate why results are true in ways lengthy mathematical



calculations never can. Did you know it's possible to derive the Pythagorean



theorem by spinning a fish tank filled with water? Or that soap film holds the



key to determining the cheapest container for a given volume? Or that the line



of best fit for a data set can be found using a mechanical contraption made from



a rod and springs? Levi demonstrates how to use physical intuition to solve



these and other fascinating math problems. More than half the problems can be



tackled by anyone with precalculus and basic geometry, while the more



challenging problems require some calculus. This one-of-a-kind book explains



physics and math concepts where needed, and includes an informative appendix of



physical principles.

The Mathematical Mechanic will appeal to anyone interested in the little-known



connections between mathematics and physics and how both endeavors relate to the



world around us