The Poincar Conjecture: In Search of the Shape of the Universe

(Paperback)

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An unsolved mystery, a reclusive Russian genius and a race to win a million dollars ... The Poincare Conjecture tells the story behind one of the world's most confounding mathematical theories. Formulated in 1904 by Henri Poincare, his Conjecture promised to describe the very shape of the universe, but remained unproved until a huge prize was offered for its solution in 2000. Six years later, an eccentric Russian mathematician had the answer. Here, Donal O'Shea explains the maths behind the Conjecture and its proof, and illuminates the curious personalities surrounding this perplexing conundrum, along the way taking in a grand sweep of scientific history from the ancient Greeks to Christopher Columbus. This is an enthralling tale of human endeavour, intellectual brilliance and the thrill of discovery.

Reviews

Conveys topology's mind-bending contortions with great flair New Scientist One can't read The Poincare Conjecture without an overwhelming awe at the infinite depths and richness of a mathematical realm not made by us Martin Gardner, author of The Annotated Alice Reveals the human story behind the challenge of the conjecture, and gives us a glimpse of the weird world inhabited by mathematicians BBC Focus Beautifully written American Scientist Intriguing The Times A truly marvellous book Martin Gardner

Author Bio

Donal O'Shea is professor of mathematics and dean of faculty at Mount Holyoke College. He has written scholarly books and monographs, and his research articles have appeared in numerous journals and collections. He lives in South Hadley, Massachusetts.