Ian Stewart reveals the really big questions that take us to the limits of mathematics. There are some mathematical problems whose significance goes beyond the ordinary
- like Fermats Last Theorem or Goldbachs Conjecture
- they are the enigmas which define mathematics. The Great Mathematical Problems" explains why these problems exist why they matter what drives mathematicians to incredible lengths to solve them & where they stand in the context of mathematics & science as a whole. It contains solved problems
- like the Poincare Conjecture cracked by the eccentric genius Grigori Perelman who refused academic honours & a million-dollar prize for his work & ones which like the Riemann Hypothesis remain baffling after centuries. Stewart is the guide to this mysterious & exciting world showing how modern mathematicians constantly rise to the challenges set by their predecessors as the great mathematical problems of the past succumb to the new techniques & ideas of the present."