Riemann only wrote 10 papers in his life, but opened up 10 different directions, and proposed Riemann's conjecture; Qin Jiushao was the first to lay a scientific basis for the measurement of rainfall and snow; Pascal designed the bus service company and The predecessor of the taxi service company; when 24-year-old Abel came to the French Academy of Sciences, 15-year-old Galois was at the Louis Middle School a few kilometers away...
They are all legendary mathematicians introduced in the book "Legends of Mathematics".
On December 19, The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) learned that "Legend of Mathematics", a book that won the "Second Prize of National Science and Technology Progress Award", was republished by the Commercial Press a few days ago, and released two hardcover volumes version, 150,000 words more than the original book.
Cover of Mathematical Legends.
The book was first published in early 2016 and won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award in 2018. The original title of the book is "Legends of Mathematics-Those Unattainable Characters", and some of the articles were selected into the textbook "Chinese" for the third grade of the Soviet version and "Mathematics" for the first grader of the Hunan version.
Zhang Yitang's handwritten recommendation. Respondents provided
"This is a book that needs to be written for a lifetime." The author Cai Tianxin said that he has completed an article of more than 20,000 words on the Chinese statistician Xu Baolu (lù).
Cai Tianxin is a native of Taizhou, Zhejiang. He entered Shandong University at the age of 15 and received a doctorate at the age of 24. He is now a professor, doctoral supervisor, and Qiushi Distinguished Scholar at the School of Mathematics, Zhejiang University. At the same time, he is a poet, writer, traveler and photographer, and has written more than 30 literary, academic and popular works. His writings have been translated into more than 20 languages, and there are more than 20 foreign editions (including 6 in English).
In the past, science popularization and scientific and cultural books were often exported to China in one direction, but Cai Tianxin's works were continuously exported overseas.
"A Modern Guide to Classical Number Theory" English Edition.
In recent years, Cai Tianxin has published "A Brief History of Mathematics", "Numbers and Roses", "Stories of Mathematics" trilogy in Korean, "Legends of Mathematics", "A Brief History of Mathematics", "Stories of Mathematics" trilogy in traditional Chinese and Russian. trilogy. In addition, it has signed a contract with Springer Publishing House to publish the English version of "A Brief History of Mathematics" in Basel, Switzerland in 2023. Singapore's World Scientific Publishing Company (World Scientific Publishing Company) has also published three of his works on number theory in English.
The Korean version of "The Story of Mathematics".
Cai Tianxin said that some people say that mathematics is a subject for geniuses. In a way, it is. But mathematician Wu Wenjun said, "Mathematics is learned by stupid people"! Those mathematicians who have achieved great success are not only worthy of being explored by the world for their contributions and ideas, but also for our personalities and outlook on life. Opening the book "Legend of Mathematics", there are no difficult and difficult formulas and theorems, only lovely intelligent hearts.
The new edition of "Legends of Mathematics" is divided into four series: A, B, C, and D. Among them, Series A and B belong to the classical part, which tells about great masters spanning arts and sciences or life legends, and constitute the first volume; Series C and D belong to the modern part and comprehensive part, constitute the second volume.
"Legends of Mathematics" in Russian.
The first volume of the book adds "Thales, the head of the seven wise men" "Frege, the truth of pure logic" and "Abel and Galois, a pair of elves" "Riemann, who has a fascinating attachment to prime numbers" Wait for five articles and six characters. The second volume of the book adds three characters in "Nash, Love in Two Worlds", "Wu Wenjun: Mathematics is Learned by Stupid People" and "Ruan Yuan, "Chou Ren Zhuan" and Gu Jing Jing She", and " Conway, Kakutani and Mahavira".
The recommendation of the winning project of the National Science and Technology Progress Award stated that "Legends of Mathematics-Those Unattainable Characters" rewritten the representative figures in the history of mathematics, and explored their inner world and growth experience, as well as their thoughts, achievements and personalities , or across multiple fields, or rich in legend. In the past, popular science works mostly started from specific issues to express their history and current situation. This book has a broader vision, breaks the convention and adopts the form of essays, and visits the hometown of each protagonist. Critics believe that compared with American mathematician ET Bell's "Mathematical Elite", the open class of the same name has attracted millions of viewers. In addition to ordinary teenagers and college students, readers of this book also include mathematics workers, and even humanities scholars and parents can benefit from it.
Traditional Chinese version of "A Brief History of Mathematics".
Forrest Gander, an American poet and winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, said, "Cai Tianxin is a writing animal that crosses all fields."
Yang Zhenning, a physicist and Nobel laureate, wrote a recommendation for this book, saying, "This is an excellent popular science book, with moving stories, profound insights, and poetic feelings. Beautiful and brilliant."
The title page inscribed by Wang Yuan, a mathematician and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Mo Yan, a writer and Nobel laureate, said that mathematics and poetry are connected through channels, and "Legend of Mathematics" is a proof. Cai Tianxin was originally a top student in the Mathematics Department of Shanda University, but he is still obsessed with discovering the mysteries of numbers. His poems and essays are also well written, which is a small miracle.
Zhang Yitang wrote a recommendation for this book, saying, "It is not easy to introduce the deeds of the greatest mathematician in history to the public in the language of poetry. Professor Cai Tianxin, who is both a mathematician and a poet, is outstanding This has been achieved with great precision. The skill of this Jiangnan talent is admirable."