In this newsletter:
- Latest news
- Browse with Plus
- Mathematical moments
- Live maths
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Latest news from Plus
Spinning in space - NASA's Gravity Probe B has finished collecting the
data which will tell us whether or not Einstein was right.
http://www.plus.maths.org/latestnews/sep-dec05/Einstein/index.html
Convergence - a new online magazine about the history of maths.
http://www.plus.maths.org/latestnews/sep-dec05/Convergence/index.html
The Further Maths Network has been launched - find out how your school can
participate.
http://www.plus.maths.org/latestnews/sep-dec05/further/index.html
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Browse with Plus
Sets and such
In last April's newsletter we told you about Jack Webster's online article
on prime numbers. He's now produced another one - well, almost a book - on
set theory. It contains all the basic concepts of set theory, logic,
cardinality and abstract algebra, complete with proofs, but understandable
for anyone who is keen to learn.
http://jax.hopto.org/maths/books/setsandsuch/
Quantum Entanglement
It may be a bit strange for a maths magazine to advertise a website that
promises to contain absolutely no maths - but this is a great introduction
to quantum entanglement, which cropped up in the Plus article "Cracking
Codes: part II" http://www.plus.maths.org/issue35/features/ekert/. You even
get to hear some music from "Quantum Physics: The Musical".
http://www.joot.com/dave/writings/articles/entanglement/index.shtml
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Mathematical moments
George Boole - Born: 2 November 1815, Lincoln, England
Died: 8 December 1864, Ballintemple, County Cork, Ireland
In a sense, it's George Boole who's responsible for me writing this
electronic newsletter to you: it was him who formalised logic into what's
now known as "Boolean algebra", the basis of modern computers and
telecommunication systems. Boole inherited his interest in maths from his
father, a cobbler, and proved his extraordinary abilities early on in life.
By the age of 14, he had taught himself Greek and translated a Greek poem
with such depth of understanding that other scholars doubted the
authenticity of the translation. Because Boole had to support his whole
family, he could not study at a college or university, but had to take paid
work as a teacher. At 19 he opened his own school in Lincoln. Nevertheless,
his work in mathematics soon found acclaim and he was offered a chair at
Queen's College, Cork, in 1849, having been recommended by eminent
mathematicians, including De Morgan. Five years later, he published "An
investigation into the Laws of Thought, on Which are founded the
Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities", the work in which he
turned logic into algebra, and which is so vital for modern computers and
other electronic devices. Boole was married to Mary Everest, the niece of
Sir George Everest, who generously gave his name to the mountain. Alas, it
is Mary who may be partly to blame for Boole's early death at 49: believing
that a cold Boole had got from being out in the rain could be cured by what
caused it - water - she chucked several buckets over him as he lay ill in
bed. The cold descended on the lungs and ended the life of a genius.
You can find out more about Boole's life and work on the MacTutor history
of mathematics site
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Boole.html
and read about how Boolean logic works in Plus article "A bright idea".
http://plus.maths.org/issue36/features/nishiyama/index.html
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Live maths
Who invented the calculus?
Professor Robin Wilson explores this question in two free public lectures
on November 16th at Gresham College, London.
When: 16th November 1pm and 16th November 6pm
Where: Gresham College
Barnard’s Inn Hall
Holborn
London EC1N 2HH
More information: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/default.asp
Einstein versus Newton
Professor Marcus Du Sautoy will chair a debate on the legacies of these two
scientific icons at the Royal Society in London. Professor Jim Al-Khalili
and Dr Mark Lythgoe, will take up Einstein's cause, while Sir John Enderby
FRS and Dr Patricia Fara stand up for Newton.
When: 23rd November 6.30 pm
Where: The Royal Society
6-9 Carlton House Terrace
London
SW1Y 5AG
More information: http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/event.asp?id=3068
Cosmology in the US and India
If you're in one of these two countries, you may want to look up Simon
Singh's webpage http://www.simonsingh.com/Simon_Lectures.html. Throughout
November and December, the author and broadcaster will give several
lectures to promote his new book "Big Bang".
Happy reading from the Plus team!
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