The Joy of X

Do you like Mathematics ? 

If your answer is "Yes" then you may like to read this post. If your answer is "No" then there are more reasons for you to read this post. 

This post is about a book titled "The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Mathematics. From One to Infinity". This book is authored by Steven Strogatz. The theme of the book is to introduce rather re-introduce the Mathematical Concepts in a joyful manner. Maths looks difficult to only those who have got introduced to it in a wrong way. Otherwise as the author says, 

Maths is everywhere, if you know where to look

 This book is organised into Six major parts:

• Part I : Numbers
• Part II : Relationships
• Part III : Shapes
• Part IV : Change
• Part V : Data
• Part VI: Frontiers

Before I tell you what these parts are about, let me tell you this first: This is a book that can be read by literally anyone - a school going kid, a college student or someone exploring frontiers of Maths. The only condition is that you need to have enthusiasm to learn. Even if earlier you had lots of friction with Maths, this book can provide an alternative view. 

This book starts with Numbers. They are the Heros of the Maths Story. Have you ever thought deep about what numbers are ? Where do they live ? Or they natural or man-made. If it is man-made then how nature is following the so called rules set by us? If it is natural then how we decoded it ? If you have questions similar to this Part One delves in detail into the world of Numbers.. From Zero to Infinity. The basic operations are explained in an interesting perspective. 

The next part is about Relationships. Obviously relationships are complicated, right? Of course, the human relationships are complicated but here we are dealing about the relationships between numbers. The relationships between numbers are super-good because they are straightforward and most importantly Numbers don't lie. When you deal with the unknown,  Arithmetic becomes Algebra. This part of the book takes us through Roots, Quads and Power Tools. 

The third part Shapes is about Geometry. Without doubt Geometry is that part of Maths which attracts most of the learners. The reason is the Geometry's ability to make us understand the things in an intuitive manner which the Algebra provided in a cryptic manner. This part navigates the lengthier road from Pythagoras to Einstein. 

Change is discussed in the Part Four. World is all about Change, right? As you might have heard somewhere, Intelligence is the ability to deal with the Change. Cliche Warning: Change is the Only thing that doesn't change. Most of us would have got introduced to Calculus in a wrong manner through formulas and formulas only. This part explores the science of Change. 

Being a student of Computer Science, the fifth part attracted me more : It is about Data. What would be the use of computers if there are no Data. May be by now, you would have heard the following phrase hundreds of times, "Data is the new Oil"(!!). This part talks about interesting patterns in the data such as Normal Curves, thrills of probability. If you are interested in Internet and Web then Chapter 24 which is titled as "Untangling web" would be more informative. Here the author explains "How Google solved the Zen riddle of Internet search using Linear Algebra".

The last part is given the name, "Frontiers". I will just provide the chapter names in this part and leave it to the curious reader in you to explore more by reading this book:

• The Loneliest Numbers
• Group Think
• Twist and Shout
• Think Globally
• Analyze This
• The Hilbert Hotel

Overall, The Joy of X is for those who are curious about the world of numbers.. the hidden mysteries what we usually miss.. the beautiful patterns in everyday events and things. This is not a Novel or Short story book. The author has done his best to provide things in the best possible manner. The  curiosity and enthusiasm to learning is something that only readers like us can bring. Approach this book with that curiosity, enthusiasm and sincerity. The chances are more that You Would find the Joy of X.