Mathematics and the Unexpected

Mathematics and the Unexpected

"Not the least unexpected thing about Mathematics and the Unexpected is that a real mathematician should write not just a literate work, but a literary one."—Ian Stewart, New Scientist "In this brief, elegant treatise, assessable to anyone who likes to think, Ivar Ekelund explains some philosophical implications of recent mathematics. He examines randomness, the geometry involved in making predictions, and why general trends are easy to project (it will snow in January) but particulars are practically impossible (it will snow from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the 21st)."— Village Voice In this brief, elegant treatise, accessible to anyone who likes to think, Ivar Ekeland explains some philosophical implications of recent mathematics. Ivar Ekeland is professor of mathematics and economics at the University of British Columbia and director of the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences. He is the author of several books, including Mathematics and the Unexpected and The Broken Dice , both published by the University of Chicago Press . Philosophy Science Logic Prediction Geometry