In Pursuit of the Unknown (68 page)

Einstein and
224

Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
206
,
247

May, Robert (Lord May of Oxford)
286
,
288
,
291
,
312–14

mean, defined
115

mean free paths
205

measurement, quantum mechanics
252
,
256

medical imaging
162–3

medical research
174

medical use of lasers
263

Meitner, Lise
230

memory
213–14

Mercury
233

Merton, Robert
304
,
305

Michelson, Albert
222–3
,
224

microwaves
192–3
,
236

‘Midas formula'
305

Milgrom, Mordehai
240

Millikan, Robert
248

mines
199–200

Minkowski, Hermann
227–8
,
232

mixing and chaos
290
,
293

Möbius, August
96
,
98

modes, vibrational
139
,
145
,
147
,
248

molecules, in thermodynamics
200
,
205–6

momentum
49
,
171
,
249

conservation of
171
,
225

MOND (modified Newtonian dynamics)
240

Moon

effects on Earth
291

origins
49
,
323n

Morley, Edward
222–3
,
224

Morse, Samuel
183

mortgages

betting on defaults
309

self-certified
301

subprime
298
,
311–12

motion, Newton's laws of
45
,
46–7
,
60
,
170
,
240

multidimensional geometry
276
,
278–9

multiplication

equation for logarithmic
21

relative complexity of
25–6
,
27–8

music
133–6

N

Napier, John
24–9

natural logarithms
30

nature

as essentially mathematical
38

instances of chaos in
285

logarithms in
33–4

Navier, Claude-Louis
169
,
170

Navier–Stokes Equation
165
,
169
,
171
,
175
,
177

negative entropy
213

Neugebauer, Otto
7

neutrinos
226
,
327n

Newcomen, Thomas
199

Newton, Isaac

calculus and
37–8
,
41–6
,
50

Hooke and
59–61
,
322n

influence
38–9
,
63
,
65–6

Kepler and
59
,
61

laws of motion
45
,
46–8

Leibniz and
39
,
42–4
,
50

physics of
220

night sky, interpretation
55–6

Nobel Prize in Economics
305
,
330n

nodes
143

noise measurement
34

noise removal
157
,
163
,
269

non-Euclidean geometries
15–16

normal distribution (bell curve)

definition
115

effect of combining
120

errors
115
,
116
,
119

financial models and
301–2

formula for
107

kinetic theory of gases
206

null hypotheses and
123

social sciences
116
,
119

normal modes
145
,
147
,
248
,
251
,
325n

notation

algebraic
78

Leibniz and Newton
42
,
43

origin of number symbols
23

origin of the equals sign
vii

nuclear accidents
31
,
32–3

null hypotheses
122–3

number symbols, origin
23

O

observational limitations, quantum mechanics
252
,
256

octahedra
91

octaves
135–6
,
143

odds, statistical
110–11

oil price
306

oil prospecting
148

operator algebras
103

options, futures and
299
,
305
,
308
,
330n

orbital resonances, Jupiter
67
,
71

Ordnance Survey of Great Britain
12

Ørsted, Hans Christian
182

orthogonality
160

P

parabolas
41
,
48
,
57

parallel universes
258–61

partial derivatives
139–40
,
170

partial differential equations
141
,
151
,
169
,
172
,
320

Black–Scholes as
304
,
310

Pascal, Blaise
111
,
113
,
324n

Penrose, Roger
239
,
328n

philosophical questions

action at a distance
221

heliocentrism
57

mathematics and reality
vii–viii
,
82
,
127

quantum mechanics
252
,
254
,
318

status of relativity
224

time's arrow
208
,
211

photoelectric effect, Einstein and
249

photography
157–60

photons
228
,
249
,
257

pianos
136

picture frame topology
93–4

π (constant)
84
,
320

Planck, Max (and Planck's constant)
247–9
,
250

planetary motion laws
39
,
58–9
,
61

plankton paradox
291–2
,
330n

playing cards illustrations
147
,
206–7
,
211
,
214

Plimpton, George Arthur
7

Poincaré, Henri
224
,
302

chaos theory and
63–4
,
105
,
285
,
289

polyhedra

Euler's formula
89
,
92–4
,
97

see also
regular solids

polynomials

Alexander polynomial
103
,
104

calculus application to
44
,
323n

HOMFLY polynomial
104

Jones polynomial
103–4
,
105
,
106

Reed-Solomon encoding
280

Poovey, Mary
307–8
,
310
,
330n

population dynamics and chaos
286–7
,
291–2
,
330n

positive feedback
298

potential energy
48–9
,
68

power, ‘new axis of'
307

pressure, in ideal gases
205

Principia
(Newton)

absence of calculus
46
,
50

astronomical significance
55
,
59

influence of
38
,
55
,
151

priority disputes
42
,
44
,
60–1
,
118

probability and wave functions
253

probability theory

crown and anchor game
111

drug testing and
127

financial models and
301

message encoding and
272–4

origins
111

risk and
128–9

see also
normal distribution

projective plane
98

property, as security
297–8
,
301
,
311

prosthapheiresis
27
,
322n

Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus)
42
,
56–7
,
134

pumps, steam
199–200

Pythagoras
3
,
8

Pythagoras's Theorem

coding theory and
276

consequences
9

curved surfaces and
17
,
19

distance calculations from
14

origins and antecedents
4
,
6

proofs
4
,
6

special relativity and
225–7

Pythagorean triples
5

Pythagorean world view
3
,
56
,
58
,
134–7
,
143

Q

quadratic equations
78–80

quantum computers
264

quantum dots
264

quantum field theory and topology
92

quantum mechanics