Book description
The
Poincar Conjecture tells the story behind one of the world s
most confounding mathematical theories. Formulated in 1904 by Henri
Poincar , his Conjecture promised to describe the very shape of the
universe, but remained unproved until a huge prize was offered for its
solution in 2000. Six years later, an eccentric Russian mathematician
had the answer.
Here, Donal O Shea explains the maths behind the Conjecture and its
proof, and illuminates the curious personalities surrounding this
perplexing conundrum, along the way taking in a grand sweep of
scientific history from the ancient Greeks to Christopher Columbus.
This is an enthralling tale of human endeavour, intellectual
brilliance and the thrill of discovery.
A truly marvellous book Donal O Shea is professor of mathematics
and dean of faculty at Mount Holyoke College. He has written scholarly
books and monographs, and his research articles have appeared in
numerous journals and collections. He lives in South Hadley,
Massachusetts.
