How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics
May 2015 · Sold by Basic Books
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About this ebook
One of the world's most creative mathematicians finds the meaning of mathematics in the kitchen
“Whimsical...rigorous and insightful.” —New York Times
What is math? How exactly does it work? And what do three siblings trying to share a cake have to do with it? In How to Bake Pi, math professor Eugenia Cheng provides an accessible introduction to the logic and beauty of mathematics, powered, unexpectedly, by insights from the kitchen. We learn how the bechamel in a lasagna can be a lot like the number five, and why making a good custard proves that math is easy but life is hard. At the heart of it all is Cheng’s work on category theory, a cutting-edge “mathematics of mathematics” that is about figuring out how math works.
Combined with her infectious enthusiasm for cooking and true zest for life, Cheng’s perspective on math is a funny journey through a vast territory no popular book on math has explored before. So, what is math? Let’s look for the answer in the kitchen.
“Whimsical...rigorous and insightful.” —New York Times
What is math? How exactly does it work? And what do three siblings trying to share a cake have to do with it? In How to Bake Pi, math professor Eugenia Cheng provides an accessible introduction to the logic and beauty of mathematics, powered, unexpectedly, by insights from the kitchen. We learn how the bechamel in a lasagna can be a lot like the number five, and why making a good custard proves that math is easy but life is hard. At the heart of it all is Cheng’s work on category theory, a cutting-edge “mathematics of mathematics” that is about figuring out how math works.
Combined with her infectious enthusiasm for cooking and true zest for life, Cheng’s perspective on math is a funny journey through a vast territory no popular book on math has explored before. So, what is math? Let’s look for the answer in the kitchen.
One of the world's most creative mathematicians finds the meaning of mathematics in the kitchen
“Whimsical...rigorous and insightful.” —New York Times
What is math? How exactly does it work? And what do three siblings trying to share a cake have to do with it? In How to Bake Pi, math professo...
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About the author
Eugenia Cheng is Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is the author of numerous books, including the LA Times Book Prize winner Is Math Real?, Unequal, Beyond Infinity, The Art of Logic in an Illogical World, and x + y. Cheng lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Eugenia Cheng is Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is the author of numerous books, including the LA Times Book Prize winner Is Math Real?, Unequal, Beyond Infinity, The Art of Logic in an Illogical World, and x + y. Cheng lives in Chicago, Illinois.
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