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  • e: The Story of a Number

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e: The Story of a Number Paperback – Sept. 22 2015

by Eli Maor (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars (324)
3.9 on Goodreads
2,183 ratings
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The interest earned on a bank account, the arrangement of seeds in a sunflower, and the shape of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis are all intimately connected with the mysterious number e. In this informal and engaging history, Eli Maor portrays the curious characters and the elegant mathematics that lie behind the number. Designed for a reader with only a modest mathematical background, this biography brings out the central importance of e to mathematics and illuminates a golden era in the age of science.

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  1. Part of series
    Princeton Science Library
  2. Print length
    248 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Princeton University Press
  5. Publication date
    Sept. 22 2015
  6. Dimensions
    13.97 x 1.27 x 21.59 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    0691168482
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0691168487
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Product description

Review

"Honorable Mention for the 1994 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Mathematics, Association of American Publishers"

"This is a gently paced, elegantly composed book, and it will bring its readers much pleasure. . . . Maor has written an excellent book that should be in every public and school library."---Ian Stewart, New Scientist

"Maor wonderfully tells the story of e. The chronological history allows excursions into the lives of people involved with the development of this fascinating number. Maor hangs his story on a string of people stretching from Archimedes to David Hilbert. And by presenting mathematics in terms of the humans who produced it, he places the subject where it belongs--squarely in the centre of the humanities."---Jerry P. King, Nature

"Maor has succeeded in writing a short, readable mathematical story. He has interspersed a variety of anecdotes, excursions, and essays to lighten the flow.... [The book] is like the voyages of Columbus as told by the first mate."---Peter Borwein, Science

"Maor attempts to give the irrational number e its rightful standing alongside pi as a fundamental constant in science and nature; he succeeds very well.... Maor writes so that both mathematical newcomers and long-time professionals alike can thoroughly enjoy his book, learn something new, and witness the ubiquity of mathematical ideas in Western culture." ― Choice

"It can be recommended to readers who want to learn about mathematics and its history, who want to be inspired and who want to understand important mathematical ideas more deeply." ― EMS Newsletter

"[A] very interesting story about the history of e, logarithms, and related matters, especially the history of calculus. . . . [A] useful complement to a course in calculus and analysis, shedding light on some fundamental topics."---Mehdi Hassani, MAA Reviews

About the Author

Eli Maor is the author of Beautiful Geometry (with Eugen Jost), Venus in Transit, Trigonometric Delights, To Infinity and Beyond, and The Pythagorean Theorem: A 4,000-Year History (all Princeton).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton University Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ Sept. 22 2015
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0691168482
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0691168487
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 255 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 1.27 x 21.59 cm
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Princeton Science Library
  • Best Sellers Rank: #544,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars (324)

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
324 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this book to be the best on the subject and consider it among their favorite books in both history and math. They describe it as a delightful read that is very detailed with good explanations of how e entered into mathematics. The book is well written and focuses on the very important magical number e. However, customers report numerous typographic errors and typos in formulas and expressions that make reading comprehension difficult.
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51 customers mention content, 49 positive, 2 negative
Customers appreciate the book's content, describing it as the best book on the subject and a favorite in both history and math. They find it highly recommended for the inquisitive mind and consider it a fine book on math that serves as a popular introduction. The book covers the history of logarithms effectively.
This book has everything students need. History proofs and diagramsRead more
...Fascinating history, well written, easy to read, just enough math.Read more
Some of the historical stuff is interesting but in Kindle format, the formatting of the formulae varies between text and images which makes it...Read more
Having read this book, I can say that the historical treatment was very interesting, putting flesh and bones to the finished product we all learn...Read more
27 customers mention readability, 23 positive, 4 negative
Customers find the book very readable and delightful to read. They describe it as interesting and absolutely fascinating, with explanations that are entirely readable and enjoyable for everyone.
...good as the book the author is trying to emulate (Pi), but a good read nonetheless. Fascinating history, well written, easy to read, just enough math.Read more
...The math for the most part was very easy to follow....Read more
A fascinating look at one of the great irrational numbers. An excellent read, and very useful to the average maths student....Read more
a little too difficult for me personally, but a wonderful overview of the progress of mathematics up to functions of a complex variable.Read more
19 customers mention detailed, 14 positive, 5 negative
Customers find the book very detailed and thorough, providing good explanations of mathematical concepts. The book offers mathematical insights and a wonderful overview, though readers note it requires a good math basis to fully understand the content.
This book has everything students need. History proofs and diagramsRead more
...Fascinating history, well written, easy to read, just enough math.Read more
a little too difficult for me personally, but a wonderful overview of the progress of mathematics up to functions of a complex variable.Read more
11 customers mention writing quality, 8 positive, 3 negative
Customers find the book well written.
...Fascinating history, well written, easy to read, just enough math.Read more
7 customers mention number content, 5 positive, 2 negative
Customers find the book's content about numbers to be very important and valuable. They describe it as covering magical number e and great irrational numbers, with particular emphasis on the importance of Euler's number 'e'. Readers consider it a valuable addition to other portraits of individual numbers.
A fascinating look at one of the great irrational numbers. An excellent read, and very useful to the average maths student....Read more
An Excellent Historical Treatment of A Very Important Number...Read more
6 customers mention kindle quality, 1 positive, 5 negative
Customers report significant issues with the Kindle edition of this book. They mention numerous typographic errors that spoil what would otherwise be a good book, with typos in formulas and expressions making reading comprehension difficult. The Kindle edition is described as terrible, and customers note mistakes in laying out the mathematical content.

Top reviews from Canada

  • Bookologist
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Historical Treatment of A Very Important Number
    Reviewed in Canada on February 12, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Having read this book, I can say that the historical treatment was very interesting, putting flesh and bones to the finished product we all learn something about in Science and Engineering programs in school. The math for the most part was very easy to follow.

    In the appendices, the proof of the constant angle between the radius and tangent for the logarithmic spiral is solved using complex numbers and conformal mapping. This is elegant in its simplicity but may be far from intuitive for many. An alternative method is to use rectangular coordinates with y = exp(a.theta)sin(theta), and x = exp(a.theta)cos(theta), and then expressing the tangent at a point on the curve with the derivative (dy/dtheta)/(dx/dtheta) and calling it tan(phi). The radius has angle theta, so we have tan(theta). Then we use the well-known identity for tan(phi - theta). Its a bit more lengthy but its also more intuitive to my way of thinking.

    I found also, that the rectangular coordinate approach to the spiral length being equal to the tangential line segment from the tangent point to the vertical axis is a good alternative to the proof given in the appendices. It takes a bit more manipulation but is more intuitive for us with rectangular coordinate thinking. Its amazing how all the mess factors out when this approach is used.

    Overall, I would highly recommend this book for those who would like to learn both the history, the significance, and the remarkable applications that spun out of this most important number we nowadays call "e". Many kudos to the author for stimulating my mind and making me aware of both the historical and the theoretical aspects of "e" that I never knew before. Well done!
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on July 31, 2017
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    This book has everything students need. History proofs and diagrams
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  • jhs
    4.0 out of 5 stars but a wonderful overview of the progress of mathematics up to functions ...
    Reviewed in Canada on May 11, 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    a little too difficult for me personally, but a wonderful overview of the progress of mathematics up to functions of a complex variable.
    Helpful
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  • Allan M. Lawson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at one of the great irrational numbers. An excellent read, and very useful to the average maths student.
    Reviewed in Canada on October 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A fascinating look at one of the great irrationals.
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  • Placeholder
    5.0 out of 5 stars A story well told
    Reviewed in Canada on April 23, 2003
    I read the book several times. It is an easy reading book for a begining math major (like me).The author did a very good and kind job to us. The other side of the my experience is that I had also tried to read the book "Euler, master of us all" (by a different author) and had found Euler's originals were easier to follow than that "expository" book.
    I had always been wondering how people calculated logarithms initially and how logarithm was originated. Well, the story explained to me from the very beginning. Each chapter it tells me something interesting and beautiful that I did not know before. While most textbooks rarely spare the ink to tell the reader how and where some of the most important math ideas and formulas had come along, this book tells me in a gentle and lucid way. I consider this book to be a good friend and I suspect that perhaps even advanced learners may find it a enjoyable read as well. Well, I also think it will be very nice if calculus professors use this book as one of their references.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • finance guy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Magical Description of Natural Log and Math History
    Reviewed in Canada on January 10, 2004
    It would be a great side reading for Real Analysis and Multivariable Calculus class. The greatest wonder I had during the first half of Real Analysis (Rudin's book) class was answered. I thought 'e' should rather be called "magical log" rather than natural log because of all the fascinating features it has. Maor discusses every aspect of this magic number in a language that is friendly to non-mathematicians. I liked the real world application of natural log such as music and finance, and the derivation of Euler's Formula e^(i*pi)+1=0.
    Excellent.
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  • Gord McKenna
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in Canada on August 8, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Not as good as the book the author is trying to emulate (Pi), but a good read nonetheless. Fascinating history, well written, easy to read, just enough math.
    One person found this helpful
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  • David J. Sullivan-nightengale
    5.0 out of 5 stars Making Math Understandable
    Reviewed in Canada on February 9, 2004
    Many textbooks state very little or nothing about the background behind the history mathematics. Maor describes the thought processes of the mathematicians in such a way that one can appreciate Mathematics more. e: The Story of a Number speaks to a broad audience so that, regardless of your mathematical experience, you will understand mathematics better.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Martin Vesely
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written book
    Reviewed in Germany on June 12, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    OK, where to start…the book is simply amazing. It covers any mathematical concept where the number e appears – from logarithms to calculus to functions of complex variable and number theory.
    The author explains intricate concepts of mathematics in easy to understand way, although some preliminary mathematical training is necessary. The author claims that even person with a little knowledge of mathematics can read the book, however, I think that a good knowledge of high school math allows you to enjoy the book more. Besides nice explanation of math, I really enjoyed historical notes and stories which accompany any discovery in science.
    The book is also very well organized. Every chapter is supplied with additional texts related to main subject of the chapter – for example another historical notes, practical application of explained concepts or interesting formulas and relations. There is also list of additional sources for further study at the end of each chapter. For readers more interested or trained in the subjects, some proofs are included in the appendix.
    To conclude, I would recommend the book to anybody interested in history of mathematics, students going for their first course in calculus (how much easy my life would have been if I had read the book before my first year at the university) and even anybody with deep training in mathematics (in my case, I refreshed my knowledge, as I use rather linear algebra and statistics in my profession than the calculus).
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  • AG
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Wonderful Book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Anyone with modest mathematical knowledge ('AS' - level for example)and an interest in mathematics would benefit from reading this delightful book. Apart from the material directly related to 'e' there are also highly readable accounts of the dispute between Leibniz and Newton, the rivalry of the Bernoullis and the genius of Euler. I particularly enjoyed the chapters 'Squaring the Hyperbola' and 'The Imaginary becomes Real'. The latter builds to simple mappings of the complex plane, illustrating analyticity, the Cauchy - Riemann Equations and their link to Laplace's equation.The historical aspect to the book is entertaining and the mathematics explained well. Highly recommended.
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  • ThePreparator
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not just about e
    Reviewed in Japan on May 1, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    It was a great a book!! Initially I bought just cause I wanted to know more about the number e, but it helped me build my mathematical basics and fill the gaps in my education very efficiently!! And it really helped answer a lot of the questions I was having on other topics. Very good book, recommended if you wanna learn about the number e, and deepen your mathematical understanding.
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  • sam
    5.0 out of 5 stars very nice book
    Reviewed in France on February 4, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I was reluctant at first, thought what, it's the trend now, a book for every number?! but then i got hooked on it for weeks. it's insightful and original, i enjoyed every chapter of it.
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  • Michel Alves
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
    Reviewed in Brazil on August 22, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Eu resolvi comprar esse livro porque um dia me surgiu uma dúvida. Por que o número e é utilizado como base padrão na função exponencial?
    Comecei o livro com o intuito de responder a essa pergunta, mas na realidade o livro me levou muito além. Logo no primeiro capítulo me proporcionou um novo olhar sobre a função logarítmica. Daí para frente seguiram-se surpresas até o final. Com certeza, terminei o livro como uma pessoa melhor do que no início. Está mais que recomendado.
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