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Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?

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Re: Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?

#82

Post by amelius »

adrianmonk wrote: post #77
oarabbus_ wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. I think everyone in this topic is missing the point of what makes the Feynman Lectures unique.

I'd use 3 words to describe Feynman's style: clarity, accessibility, and fascination.

This description made me think of the "Mathologer" channel on YouTube.

Re: Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?

#83

Post by newprint »

m31415 wrote: post #70

For mathematics, I would recommend: 1. "What Is Mathematics? An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods" by Courant and Robbins -- a general book on mathematics in the spirit of Feynman lectures. 2. Strogatz's "Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos" -- it's a bit narrow in scope (mostly dynamical systems with a little bit of chaos/fractals thrown in) but very good nonetheless. 3. Tristan Needham, "Visual Complex Analysis", b…

Just a note, "Visual Complex Analysis" is a terrible book to learn complex analysis. Proofs are very iffy, akin to sketches of proofs. With that said, it is a excellent supplement to another std. complex analysis textbook.

Re: Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?

#84

Post by juskrey »

nabla9 wrote: post #51

"Mathematics : Its Content, Methods and Meaning" by A. D. Aleksandrov, A. N. Kolmogorov ,M. A. Lavrent'ev. (3 Volumes) This is a classic and exactly what you are seeking for. I think it was originally published in 1962. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/405880.Mathematics https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Content-Methods-Meaning-V...

Exactly this

Re: Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?

#85

Post by mturmon »

anton_tarasenko wrote: post #26

In terms of depth and breadth, the Princeton companions get close to Feynman.[1][2] A more formal approach appears in handbooks.[3][4] [1] Gowers et al., The Princeton Companion to Mathematics. https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691118802/th... [2] Higham and Dennis, The Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics. https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691150390/th... [3] Zwillinger, CRC Standar…

I purchased [2], having enjoyed Nick Higham's other book (a treatise on matrix computations), and knowing how well-received [1] was.

But, [2] turned out to be kind of a dud. It was not really fun to browse, and I wasn't sure who it was directed to. The articles that I sampled read like they were intended for academic applied math folks, rather than introductions for interested outsiders. It's a huge book, so YMMV, and has been very well-reviewed by high-profile and well-qualified academics (like Steven Strogatz) but I spent a couple evenings with the book and could not recommend.

In any event, it's not like Feynmann's lectures! It's an encyclopedia.

TLDR: "it was good for someone, but it was not the book I wanted".

(PS: recommending the CRC tables is an odd thing, this is also nothing like Feymann's lectures)

Re: Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?

#87

Post by novalis78 »

mjcohen wrote: post #67

I've always liked "Mathematics for the Million" by Lancolet Hogben.

Yes that’s a very good one. So many editions - with Einstein raving about its skill in bringing Math to the masses in a preface. Now it’s almost unknown.

Re: Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?

#88

Post by jlebar »

I am very much enjoying Evan Chen's "An Infinitely Large Napkin". https://venhance.github.io/napkin/Napkin.pdf

I think this is in the spirit of Feynman's lectures inasmuch as it's not going to bring you to expert-level understanding, but it is going to do a good job giving you some intuitive understanding, which you might then be able to apply to re-studying the material in more detail.

He even takes pull requests, I fixed a few typos.

Re: Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?

#89

Post by SSLy »

nabla9 wrote: post #51

"Mathematics : Its Content, Methods and Meaning" by A. D. Aleksandrov, A. N. Kolmogorov ,M. A. Lavrent'ev. (3 Volumes) This is a classic and exactly what you are seeking for. I think it was originally published in 1962. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/405880.Mathematics https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Content-Methods-Meaning-V...

There is some quality in Russian math books that western authors seem to lack.
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