Reviews (2)

Lots of new additions.
Of the many recent books on wavelets, this one by Jaffard, Meyer et al stands out. This is a new edition of earlier ones, starting with a French one, then a first translation, and now this expanded version. There is lots of new material, covering new developments, both with regards to theory and applications. The authors communicate the main points in a clear and attractive way, and it stresses lucid presentation of ideas over formulas. And with an infectious enthusiasm! The presentation is especially refreshing, in that the authors do not hide behind excessive technicalities and mathematical jargon. It is the central idea that shines through. And yet the mathematically sophisticated reader is paid his dues,-- in some cases via the appendices. At that point, the technical mathematical points have been well motivated. The emphasis of the book is the mathematics behind the many algorithms that emerged from the wavelet trends since the 1980ties. And lots of new stuff added (for example JPEG-2000), right up to the present. The book is rich in applications, many of which are not found elsewhere. The inclusion of motivation and historical remarks is welcome, and makes the book enjoyable reading.

Good covering of wavelets applications
Although this book emphasis is on algorithms and applications, the general presentation of wavelets for signal processing is great. The introduction to the subject is really excellent and great care has been given to explaining the use of wavelets for applications in signal processing. On the other side i found the last chapters dealing with applications a little too light for being useful...

Reviews (13)

It helped me understand...
I'm a novice at this subject matter, and I've recently started reading introductory books on quantum physics for fun.I read, "The New Quantum Universe" prior to reading this.This easy to read book filled in some gaps that that I had.It helped me grasp some concepts that had otherwise passed over my head when reading the other book.

I understand that this is a classic text and I can see why.It's fun to read, and provides a foundation for further understanding.It explains uncertaintity, radioactive decay, and electron shells especially well.

I may not fully appreciate the concepts I was able to internalize from this book for quite some time.I can say that I strongly recommend it to the layman or anyone who's eager to understand some basics of this incredible field of study.

An alltime favorite!
A lovely reprinted edition of a peral from Gamow. The original edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 1993 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. Follow your imagination, and while you explore, you will learn about Einstein's theory of relativity. And in unexpected ways! You will see the wonders of physics thru the eyes of a child. With his unexpected thought experiments, Gamow has captured the imagination of generations of readers, and he has inspired a degree of curiosity that comes naturally to children.
The author George Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr in Copenhagen, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII; and after the War, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus of The University of Colorado named after him! He is one of the few scientists who wrote popular books. They are precious pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. For awhile they were out of print, but luckely some have now been reprinted in recent years!
Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!
Review by Palle Jorgensen, September 2003.

Reviews (2)

Pondering the philosophy of understanding mathematics
When reading this account of a series of conversations between Jean-Pierre Changeux and Alain Connes, two main themes emerge. The first is how little progress there has been made in the philosophy of mathematics and knowledgesince the time of Plato and the second is how much fun it is to discuss it.Changeux is Director of the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory at theInstitut Pasteur and Connes is a previous winner of the Fields Medal formathematical excellence. His prime areas of work are in analysisandgeometry. These two superb minds jointly explore the realm ofconsciousness, knowledge, and the inherent ambiguities in the search fortruth and understanding.
As the conversations progress, many of themain themes of philosophy are covered, with an emphasis on mathematics andthe abstract nature of the human mind. My favorite chapter was "TheNeuronal Mathematician", where the neural basis of understanding theoremsis discussed. If it were possible for Plato to eavesdrop on theconversation, he would be baffled by the references to computers, but thediscussion on the "forms" of mathematics would seem like old news. One veryprofound question raised in this book bears repeating, "Is it necessary fora computer to experience pain and suffering to be consideredconscious?"
A book that should be thought of as a primer only, this isone work that can keep you thinking and pondering for years.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted withpermission.

Reviews (3)

A brilliant book
I have been reading a lot of popular math/biography books, and this is one of the best books I have read. The way the author weaves history and math in a seamless manner is just awesome. Even the descriptions of the countries/cities where the mathematicians lived makes you want to grab a history textbook to know more.

P.S: You might be surprised by certain politically incorrect phrases like "we modern men", etc ...That is because this book was originally published in 1961

"Of Men & Numbers by Jane Muir-A review
This is an ENJOYABLE book.I am not a mathematician, but came across this book by chance while looking for some specific explanations.The book was so interesting and well written that I stopped my research and read it through.I would characterize it roughly as a chronological explanation of the lives of the world's great mathematicians.It relates their lives and contributions to knowledge to those who lived before and after them.The author strikes a very nice balance between explanation of their environment and their contribution to knowledge (and its acceptance, rejection, or being ignored).Its all nicely woven together.The book gave me the feeling of getting just the right amount of detail and explanation with plenty of references for those who wish to study deeper on many subjects covered in the book.Try it.You'll like it.End of review

Reviews (7)

Good book---too much algebra
This book is a good source of riddles, old and new. Unfortunately, a lot of the riddles are just basic algebra problems... and that's not very fun. But if you skip (or quickly work out) the silly algebra riddles, there are still a lot of other interesting riddles. And also there's a neat way to prove Gauss's summing rule in this book.

Also, I was looking for an errata for this book, but I couldn't find one, so I will just mention here that the answer to number 71 is incorrect. But, if you just remove the last sentence from the answer, then it is right.

Better than Sam Loyd!
This is probably the best book on logic puzzles ever written (aside from other Smullyan books, that is).It is witty, challenging, and has problems of all kinds.The first half is framed as a continuation to the Arabian Nights, with ingenious and original puzzles (aside from the occasional oldy snuck in) given an Arabian touch.
However, after those brilliant puzzles comes the greatest part of the book.The second half is a collection of puzzles, paradoxes, and even has a couple of chapters on coercive logic, invented by Raymond Smullyan himself.
I reccomend this book to any logic buff, or indeed to anyone who's ever enjoyed a logic puzzle.And if you don't fall into either category, then you need this book all the more.