Sunday, October 14, 2007

711. The Music of the Primes (Marcus Du Sautoy)

Bernhard Riemann

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
In 1859, German mathematician Bernhard Riemann presented a paper to the Berlin Academy that would forever change the history of mathematics. The subject was the mystery of prime numbers. At the heart of the presentation was an idea that Riemann had not yet proved but one that baffles mathematicians to this day.

Solving the Riemann Hypothesis could change the way we do business, since prime numbers are the lynchpin for security in banking and e-commerce. It would also have a profound impact on the cutting-edge of science, affecting quantum mechanics, chaos theory, and the future of computing. Leaders in math and science are trying to crack the elusive code, and a prize of $1 million has been offered to the winner. In this engaging book, Marcus du Sautoy reveals the extraordinary history behind the holy grail of mathematics and the ongoing quest to capture it.

My rating: 5 stars

My review: A very good review of the Riemann Hypothesis and the implications of a proof. Technical enough for mathematicians but not so abstract that it cannot be understood by laypersons.

No comments: