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Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Other Adventures in Applied Mathematics Robert B. Banks

Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Other Adventures in Applied Mathematics By Robert B. Banks

Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Other Adventures in Applied Mathematics by Robert B. Banks


$10.00
Condition - Very Good
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Summary

Presents a range of musings, both practical and entertaining, such as how tall can one grow? Why do we get stuck in traffic? This work shows how math and simple reasoning together may produce elegant models that explain everything from the federal debt to the proper technique for ski-jumping.

Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Other Adventures in Applied Mathematics Summary

Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Other Adventures in Applied Mathematics by Robert B. Banks

Although we seldom think of it, our lives are played out in a world of numbers. Such common activities as throwing baseballs, skipping rope, growing flowers, playing football, measuring savings accounts, and many others are inherently mathematical. So are more speculative problems that are simply fun to ponder in themselves - such as the best way to score Olympic events. Here Robert Banks presents a wide range of musings, both practical and entertaining, that have intrigued him and others: How tall can one grow? Why do we get stuck in traffic? Which football player would have a better chance of breaking away - a small, speedy wide receiver or a huge, slow linebacker? Can California water shortages be alleviated by towing icebergs from Antarctica? What is the fastest the 100-meter dash will ever be run? The book's twenty-four concise chapters, each centered on a real-world phenomenon, are presented in an informal and engaging manner. Banks shows how math and simple reasoning together may produce elegant models that explain everything from the federal debt to the proper technique for ski-jumping. This book, which requires of its readers only a basic understanding of high school or college math, is for anyone fascinated by the workings of mathematics in our everyday lives, as well as its applications to what may be imagined. All will be rewarded with a myriad of interesting problems and the know-how to solve them.

Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Other Adventures in Applied Mathematics Reviews

The book reads like a pacey murder mystery but with a scintillating twist, the reader becomes an active participant in the forensic analysis... [A] fabulous exposition of adventures in applied mathematics. It's already one of my favourite books. It's so good I find it hard to lay aside. -- B. L. Henry The Physicist In Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes former engineering professor Robert Banks reveals a startling fact: relatively simple maths can indeed be applied to an astonishing variety of relevant and interesting problems. There is something here for every mathematically inclined reader. The aerodynamics of balls in sport, the spread of diseases, traffic flow, the effect of meteor impacts--he deals with these and much more in engaging, well judged detail. -- Robert Matthews New Scientist Robert Banks's study of everyday phenomena is infused with infectious enthusiasm. Publishers Weekly

About Robert B. Banks

Robert B. Banks was a Professor of Engineering at Northwestern University and Dean of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served with the Ford Foundation in Mexico City and with the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok. He won numerous national and international honors, including being named Commander of the Order of the White Elephant by the King of Thailand and Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques by the government of France.

Table of Contents

Preface Ch. 2Alligator Eggs and the Federal Debt Ch. 3Controlling Growth and Perceiving Spread Ch. 4Little Things Falling from the Sky Ch. 5Big Things Falling from the Sky Ch. 6Towing and Melting Enormous Icebergs: Part I Ch. 7Towing and Melting Enormous Icebergs: Part II Ch. 8A Better Way to Score the Olympics Ch. 9How to Calculate the Economic Energy of a Nation Ch. 10How to Start Football Games, and Other Probably Good Ideas Ch. 11Gigantic Numbers and Extreme Exponents Ch. 12Ups and Downs of Professional Football Ch. 13A Tower, a Bridge, and a Beautiful Arch Ch. 14Jumping Ropes and Wind Turbines Ch. 15The Crisis of the Deficit: Gompertz to the Rescue Ch. 16How to Reduce the Population with Differential Equations Ch. 17Shot Puts, Basketballs, and Water Fountains Ch. 18Balls and Strikes and Home Runs Ch. 19Hooks and Slices and Holes in One Ch. 20Happy Landings in the Snow Ch. 21Water Waves and Falling Dominoes Ch. 22Something Shocking about Highway Traffic Ch. 23How Tall Will I Grow? Ch. 24How Fast Can Runners Run? References Index

Additional information

GOR002829129
9780691102856
0691102856
Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Other Adventures in Applied Mathematics by Robert B. Banks
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Princeton University Press
20020721
344
Runner-up for Choice Magazine Outstanding Reference/Academic Book Award 1999
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Other Adventures in Applied Mathematics