Archimedes’ Revenge

Paul Hoffman

“Now everybody can comprehend the thoughts of mathematical geniuses. * How topologists discovered how to transform a smokestack into a bowling ball — and why. How game theorists realized that sometimes you have to vote for the candidate you don’t like. How computer scientists hope to build a self-aware robot that can clean the house and think for itself. How since 1822, cryptographers have toiled to decipher a map that will point to a hidden treasure containing millions of cash.
Archimedes’ Revenge takes the reader on a guided tour of the universe of modern mathematics and explains, makes sense of, and enjoys its innumerable wonders.”
“An easygoing and humorous overview of several subjects in and around the mathematics’ fringe. Mr. Hoffman treats mathematics as an accomplished storyteller. — Book Review from The New York Times”