The other side of the equation Book

William Dunham's non-fiction book, The Mathematical Universe, is an enthralling book which takes readers on a journey through some of the most popular algebraic and geometric proofs, such as Runges Theorem and proving the value of pi. Despite its title and subject, the book was unexpectedly interesting as Dunham found a way to connect or relate these concepts of thought to any scholar's standard education. For instance, when discussing the differentiation of integrals, Dunham some how managed to relate the calculus involved in this process to basic polynomial fundamentals, which any educated middle-schooler should have knowledge of. In essence, Dunham has found a way to put complicated math concepts in terms in which even those with the most basic of educational backgrounds can understand, thereby expanding the range of the book's audience. However, when I checked this book out from my school's library, I had noticed that it had been untouched for an extended period of time, which was expected. Students would not often find this book interesting as they may not have a vested interest in mathematics, which is a recurring pattern with most students. Dunham, however still attempts to draw the attention of young students by placing comic strips or puns in his book, so that it may appeal to a younger audience. The most striking characteristic of this book was not the fact that it covered such wide branches of mathematics in a small amount of pages, but the fact that it placed it in terms in which any student could comprehend such concepts without being hindered by their lack of knowledge in mathematics when compared to college graduate.