Vector: A Surprising Story Of Space, Time, And Mathematical Transformation

Description

A celebration of the seemingly simple idea that allowed us to imagine the world in new dimensions — sparking both controversy and discovery. A celebration of the seemingly simple idea that allowed us to imagine the world in new dimensions — sparking both controversy and discovery. Vector takes readers on an extraordinary, five-thousand-year journey through the human imagination. The stars of this book, vectors and tensors, are unlikely celebrities. Yet Robyn Arianrhod shows how they enabled physicists and mathematicians to think in a brand-new way. These include James Clerk Maxwell when he ushered in the wireless electromagnetic age; Einstein when he predicted the curving of space-time and the existence of gravitational waves; Paul Dirac, when he created quantum field theory; and Emmy Noether, when she connected mathematical symmetry and the conservation of energy. Today, you’re likely relying on vectors or tensors each time you pick up your mobile phone, use a GPS, or search online. In Vector, award-winning science writer Robyn Arianrhod shows the genius required to reimagine the world — and how a clever mathematical construct can dramatically change discovery’s direction.