BY Graham Farmelo Full Pages
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SYNOPSIS :
The equation has come to embody the mystery and terror of modern science. It Must Be Beautiful is a wide-ranging collection of writings that lift the lid on some of the most influential ? and notorious ? equations of all time. This book brings together gifted scientists and writers, including Nobel Prize winners, to interpret the scientific work of the 20th century and place it in historical
perspective. Each essay presents the essence of an equation, explains why it is fundamental, defines its scope and limitations, and finally states its importance in the wider intellectual and popular culture.Contributors include Peter Galison, of Harvard University, on E=mc2; Roger Penrose on Einstein s equation of general relativity; Robert May, President of the Royal Society, on the quadratic map; John Maynard Smith on the mathematics of evolution; award-winning journalist Aisling Irwin on the equations which predicted that a hole would appear in the ozone layer; Frank Wilczek on the Dirac