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Modern life is increasingly relying on digital technology, which in turn runs on mathematics. However, this underlying math is hidden from us. That is mostly a good thing since we do not want to be solving equations and calculating fractions just to get things done in our everyday business. But the mathematical details do matter for anyone who wants to understand how stuff works, or wishes to create something new in the jungle of apps and algorithms. This book takes a look at the mathematical models behind weather forecasting, climate change prediction, artificial intelligence, medical imaging and computer graphics. The reader is expected to have only a curious mind; technical math skills are not needed for enjoying this text.
List of contents
Foreword: Mathematics, our invisible friend.- 1. My adventures in the world of mathematics.- 2. Examples of mathematical models.- 3. The large models of Earth and space.- 4. Mathematics in the service of doctors.- 5. Is humanity mathematics as well?.- Mathematics belongs to everyone.
About the author
Samuli Siltanen is a Professor of Industrial Mathematics and Vice Dean at the University of Helsinki. He is an expert on inverse problems, with a special interest in computational methods for medical imaging and nondestructive testing. His work on nonlinear imaging algorithms is used in hospital equipment and in nuclear safeguards protocols. Siltanen is an award-winning popularizer of science, appearing regularly on Finnish national TV, writing books, and publishing his own YouTube channel
Samun tiedekanava.
Report
"This book is an excellent source for supplementary reading in introductory courses to computer technology ... . This book is also can be used by professors teaching a liberal arts mathematics course because it provides students a deeper understanding of how mathematics is used and how it continually develops. This book is a must-read for the high school teacher ... . The author presents a myriad of examples of where mathematics is used in the everyday life of a teenager." (Tom French, MAA Reviews, December 27, 2021)
