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92 reviews for:
The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth
Paul Hoffman
4.21 AVERAGE
92 reviews for:
The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth
Paul Hoffman
4.21 AVERAGE
Somewhat scattered biography of the Hungarian Paul Erdős, describing his life and his mathematics through anecdotes and examples. Mathematician Ron Graham acted as his factotum and a few chapters act as his biography also. I think the math is accessible to the public, but your mileage may vary.
One of the things that makes Erdős famous is his contributions to papers in math, and these are not just in name only. He fostered young talent where possible and made real contributions to his last days.
Paul is also quirky, and that comes out clearly here. His travels remind me of Moe Berg, both of them itinerant wanderers. Unfortunately this biography also wandered quite a bit. The first portion of the book was solid, but without an index I would have trouble finding topics in the latter half - sometimes visiting math, sometimes history, and sometimes relatives. An index, bibliography, and sources of the many quotes are all here, I just wish they weren't so necessary.
One of the things that makes Erdős famous is his contributions to papers in math, and these are not just in name only. He fostered young talent where possible and made real contributions to his last days.
Paul is also quirky, and that comes out clearly here. His travels remind me of Moe Berg, both of them itinerant wanderers. Unfortunately this biography also wandered quite a bit. The first portion of the book was solid, but without an index I would have trouble finding topics in the latter half - sometimes visiting math, sometimes history, and sometimes relatives. An index, bibliography, and sources of the many quotes are all here, I just wish they weren't so necessary.
I had to choose a math book to read for one of my classes in my freshman year of college. I am so glad I chose this one. It was such an interesting read. I think it was enjoyable because it did not solely focus on math, but rather it focused on the biography of a mathematician. There were lots of interesting stories included in the book. Overall really enjoyed it!
challenging
informative
slow-paced
In what appears to be a continuing trend of 'watch the documentary, then read the book', I just finished Paul Hoffman's "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdős and the Search for Mathematical Truth" after having seen the documentary "N Is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős". I have always been a huge fan of mathematics, and I have a deep love for books which highlight the more romantic side of mathematics, the part that is obscured by the endless repetition and memorization that seems to pervade all math classes.
Paul Erdős was one of the world's greatest and most prolific mathematicians. But aside from his seemingly innumerable papers proving theorem after theorem, what made Paul special was his tireless devotion to mathematics. Working 19-hour days well into his 70's and 80's, crisscrossing the globe to work with all sorts of mathematicians, he was an absolute powerhouse of brilliance.
In Hoffman's book, he describes his encounters with some of Erdős' collaborators, as they share stories and anecdotes that highlight what working with Erdős was like. Their description of his hectic pace and his almost child-like innocence with regards to the world at large really help the reader get an idea of the joy and frustration that came with working with such a great mathematician.
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers", and the only real criticism that I can make towards Hoffman's book is that I felt he deviated a little too much when describing the life and history of other mathematicians. Although the story of Fermat's Last Theorem and Wiles' subsequent proof of it is a good story (and made for a fantastic book), I was somewhat surprised to see it take up about 10 pages in the book, considering Erdős had no contributions to the proof.
If you have even a tiny interest in mathematics, I highly suggest watching the documentary "N Is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős", and then checking out this book. Who knows, it might even rekindle a love for mathematics you didn't even know you had.
Paul Erdős was one of the world's greatest and most prolific mathematicians. But aside from his seemingly innumerable papers proving theorem after theorem, what made Paul special was his tireless devotion to mathematics. Working 19-hour days well into his 70's and 80's, crisscrossing the globe to work with all sorts of mathematicians, he was an absolute powerhouse of brilliance.
In Hoffman's book, he describes his encounters with some of Erdős' collaborators, as they share stories and anecdotes that highlight what working with Erdős was like. Their description of his hectic pace and his almost child-like innocence with regards to the world at large really help the reader get an idea of the joy and frustration that came with working with such a great mathematician.
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers", and the only real criticism that I can make towards Hoffman's book is that I felt he deviated a little too much when describing the life and history of other mathematicians. Although the story of Fermat's Last Theorem and Wiles' subsequent proof of it is a good story (and made for a fantastic book), I was somewhat surprised to see it take up about 10 pages in the book, considering Erdős had no contributions to the proof.
If you have even a tiny interest in mathematics, I highly suggest watching the documentary "N Is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős", and then checking out this book. Who knows, it might even rekindle a love for mathematics you didn't even know you had.
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Written by a non-mathematician and as such has a couple of mathematical errors, but that is my only complaint. I thought this book was great. It's probably good that it was written by a non-mathematician so that the full human story could be told. Erdos was such a character. A very entertaining book.
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced