Princeton University Press Publishes The Best Writing on Mathematics 2010

December 15, 2010

The Best Writing on Mathematics 2010, a 440-page paperback edited by Mircea Pitici (Cornell University), with a foreword by William P. Thurston, features new voices alongside important names in mathematics.

The book contains articles not easily found. Offering insights into the nature, meaning, and practice of mathematics today, articles are grouped under broad headings: mathematics education, mathematicians, mathematics in the media, history, applications, and in general.

"The tenor of the articles varies, but most are directed at motivated readers, typically with a vested interest in the subject but not necessarily with expertise," said Margaret Dominy (Drexel University, Philadelphia). "Like most anthologies, some articles are better than others," she wrote.

The compilation contains two MAA selections: Keith Devlin's MAA column "What is Experimental Mathematics?" and Judith Grabiner’s award-winning article Why Did Lagrange “Prove” the Parallel Postulate? (American Mathematical Monthly, January 2009, pp. 3-18; reprinted in A Historian Looks Back , 2010).

Diminy's overall verdict: "The Best Writing on Mathematics 2010 is a natural choice for academic and large public collections and math lovers."

Source: Princeton University Press; Library Journal