A Most Elegant Equation
David Stipp, A Most Elegant Equation: Euler's Formula and the Beauty of Mathematics (Basic Books, 2017)
Summary: A provocative and mysterious exploration of a famous mathematical equation that links the concepts of unity (1), zero (0), imaginary numbers, Euler's constant, and pi (π), which is the universal ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. A wonderful introduction to that endless of debates: is mathematics discovered or constructed? The layman should not shy away: any requisite refresher on the relevant math concepts is worth the effort on its own merits. Contains a helpful walk-through of Euler's mathematical derivation.
Key Quote: "It took mathematicians centuries to make the conceptual advances that led to the equation and its geometric interpretation. These ideas were unknown to many brilliant mathematicians before the nineteenth century. The reason is clear: they aren't obvious, period. And understanding how to derive the formula only highlights further loci of wonder." - p. 148
Bottom Line: Read this book if your quantitative skills are rusty but you're drawn to numbers and their history.
