That’s Maths III

This is the third collection under the rubric 'That’s Maths'.The first volume, 'That’s Maths: The Mathematical Magicin Everyday Life', was published by Gill Books in 2016. The second,'That’s Maths II: A Ton of Wonders', was published for LogicPress in 2020. Both volumes were very favourably reviewed.This collection includes essays on a wide range of topics in bothpure and applied mathematics. Chapters such as one on the beautifultheory of complex variables, illustrate the 'elegant abstraction'mentioned in the subtitle, while chapters on mathematics in mechanics, astronomy, networks,freak waves and music demonstrate its 'eclectic applications'.The book is suitable for everyone with an interest in mathematics,whether or not they have studied the subject beyond secondary schoollevel. Some chapters are purely expository; others go deeper intotheir subjects and are at a more advanced mathematical level. Thefirst three quarters of the book (48 chapters) require no advanced knowledge.The final quarter (16 chapters, each marked by a star) involve some undergraduate maths. These should give readers a flavour ofsome more advanced mathematics.The chapters in this book are all short, generally about fourpages. They can be read in sequence, with constantly changingthemes, or in random order. The book should be appreciated byanyone with an interest in mathematics and science. In particular,teachers of these subjects, at both school and university level,should find a cornucopia of material to add a sparkle to theirclasses.Many of the essays in this collection have appeared in the regularcolumn 'That’s Maths' in The Irish Times or on Peter Lynch’s mathematicalblog, thatsmaths.com. All have been fully revised forthis book.