Cover art for When Least Is Best
Published
Princeton University Press, July 2021
ISBN
9780691218762
Format
Softcover, 406 pages
Dimensions
21.6cm × 14cm

When Least Is Best How Mathematicians Discovered Many Clever Ways to Make Things as Small (or as Large) as Possible by

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A mathematical journey through the most fascinating problems of extremes and how to solve them. What is the best way to photograph a speeding bullet? How can lost hikers find their way out of a forest? Why does light move through glass in the least amount of time possible?

When Least Is Best combines the mathematical history of extrema with contemporary examples to answer these intriguing questions and more. Throughout, Nahin examines entertaining conundrums, such as how to build the shortest bridge possible between two towns, how to vary speed during a race, and how to make the perfect basketball shot. Moving from medieval writings and modern calculus to the field of optimisation, the engaging and witty explorations of When Least Is Best will delight math enthusiasts everywhere.

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