Math Goes to the Movies

English

ISBN: 1421404842

EAN: 9781421404844

Category: Performing Arts / Film & Video / General

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

Release Date: 05/31/2012

Age Range: 17-null

Synopsis: Mel Gibson teaching Euclidean geometry, Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins acting out Zenos paradox, Michael Jackson proving in three different ways that 7 x 13 = 28. These are just a few of the intriguing mathematical snippets that occur in hundreds of movies. Burkard Polster and Marty Ross pored through the cinematic calculus to create this thorough and entertaining survey of the quirky, fun, and beautiful mathematics to be found on the big screen. Math Goes to the Movies is based on the authors own collection of more than 700 mathematical movies and their many years using movie clips to inject moments of fun into their courses. With more than 200 illustrations, many of them screenshots from the movies themselves, this book provides an inviting way to explore math, featuring such movies as: - Good Will Hunting- A Beautiful Mind- Stand and Deliver- Pi- Die Hard- The Mirror Has Two Faces The authors use these iconic movies to introduce and explain important and famous mathematical ideas: higher dimensions, the golden ratio, infinity, and much more. Not all math in movies makes sense, however, and Polster and Ross talk about Hollywoods most absurd blunders and outrageous mathematical scenes. Interviews with mathematical consultants to movies round out this engaging journey into the realm of cinematic mathematics. This fascinating behind-the-scenes look at movie math shows how fun and illuminating equations can be.

Math Goes to the Movies

Illustrated: Yes

Format: Paperback

Height: 0.87 inches

Width: 6.13 inches

Length: 9.25 inches

Weight: 18.45 oz

Pages: 304