When we learn about abstract mathematical concepts - from prime numbers and fractals to aspects of calculus - the most common question is often: when on earth will I need this? To many of us, so-called ´pure´ mathematics is downright baffling. Yet these concepts are what underpin the world we live in, from internet security to the transmission of radio waves. When you start to think like a mathematician, the secrets of technology and modern life suddenly make sense.
Junaid Mubeen regards mathematics as a collection of thinking tools that can enrich the way we approach our everyday lives. In Think Like a Mathematician, he presents a catalogue of enlightening mathematical concepts. Some will be familiar from school, but the majority are ideas that readers will not have encountered before. And anyone - from mathematicians to self-proclaimed mathophobes - can learn from them. All of these ideas are easy to grasp, and a few may even reshape the way you see the world.