Uncover the Hidden Reality of Love and Math: A Journey of Discovery

Kocsonya: It is a personal journey of a mathematician. While the introduction says that it is written for laypeople with no math background, that's not really the case. Even if you have engineering level math background (which the book considers "classical" math) you won't understand half of it. Symmetry groups, finite fields, Riemann surface topology groups, Lie algebras and the like are what the book is about, familiar to theoretical physicists but unlikely to be well known by a biologist, chemist, engineer or, indeed, a layperson. However, the maths in the book are just a background that gives you a glimpse to what those bits of mathematics are all about and also how those ezoteric fields find practical applications even in everyday life.
The author tells his journey, a jewish mathematical prodigy trying to pursue his dream in the anti-semitic Soviet Union, facing adversity from authorities but being helped by individuals appreciating talent. During Gorbachev's perestroika he manages to go to the US and flourish.
The book is a personal story, but it also tells you how mathematicians (and in general scientists) operate; collaborations, tackling problems, friendships, rivalry but...

Australia on May 19, 2023

Robert FourerRobert Fourer: I purchased the Kindle version of this book. It's an appealing combination of memoir and mathematics. But the occasional mathematical formulas, which are a key part of the exposition, are so tiny as to be unreadable. Increasing the size of the font makes no difference, whether on a Kindle or an Android reader. I have attached a screenshot that shows an example, but look closely; the formula follows "cubic equation". -- I am giving this book four stars only because I do not want to discourage readers of the paper version.

United States on Dec 10, 2022

Le: Very enjoyable book to read! Recommend to everyone who may or may not hate mathematics.

Canada on Dec 13, 2019

Athan: This is, comfortably, the best popular math book I’ve ever had the fortune to lay my eyes on.

I have a couple degrees in the subject. One in applied math, that I studied in college, and one in pure math that I got twelve years later. Indeed, I coincided with the author at Harvard, and his description of the Math department in the Science Center, the ping pong table and that hidden gem of a library brought back memories of my first semester in college, which was largely spent poring over impossible math assignments. (It also reminded me of the rather poor personal hygiene of some of the guys there, which goes unmentioned in the book!) This is now my favorite popular math book.

I don’t know math anymore, but I regardless LOVED LOVED LOVED reading this. The man has an unbelievable gift for explaining stuff and flattering you into thinking you understand it too. I can probably now blag about SO(3) and SU(2) and SU(3) and fibres and sheaves and fundamental groups with the best of them and I feel like I own the material (which of course I don’t.)

For three days of my life I did math with Grothendieck and Gelfand, Drinfeld and Kac, basically, I sat there at the...

United Kingdom on May 20, 2016

Iatrophus Whosawhatsit: Edward has done an amazing thing - he has translated the concepts of advanced mathematics into an every day language that, with a little reflection, makes deeply difficult concepts readily accessible to the interested reader. Edward shows us that mathematics is not at all the solving equations that we did in school, but rather a whole world of deeply creative ideas that enables us to better understand our world.

As someone deeply passionate about mathematics, but having very little talent, this book was able to open very many doors of understanding for me that previously were closed.

The mathematics in here is not conceptually dumbed down and readers should expect to think and reflect to get the full value from the book.

Stylistically the book alternates often between an autobiographical chapter and then a beautiful exposition of the mathematics Edward was studying. I disagree entirely with reviewers who have said the book is too autobiographical or that it is self-congratulatory. It is very clearly a passionate and cheerful exposition of Edward's favorite mathematics, which is balanced beautifully with his fascinating and interesting autobiography as a...

United States on Mar 11, 2015

Dr. T.: „Love and Math“ von Edward Frenkel ist ein furioses Plädoyer für die Schönheit und Kraft der Mathematik, der Autor versucht den Leser mit seiner Passion anzustecken, und hat dabei die Chuzpe, auf für Nichtmathematiker verständliche Art und Weise, eine der anspruchsvollsten mathematischen Theorien – das Langland Programm – vorzustellen.

Robert Langlands stellte Anfang der 60iger einen Zusammenhang zwischen Darstellung von Galois Gruppen und automorphen Funktionen her, der eine Verbindung von Objekten der Arithmetik einerseits und der Harmonischen Analysis andererseits liefert; wenn so etwa geschieht, ist das für Mathematiker unter Umständen eine kleine Sensation, denn mittel dieser Entsprechung lassen sich ggf. schier unlösbare Probleme des einen Gebietes in Probleme umwandeln, die mit den Werkzeugen des anderen Gebiets behandelbar sind.

Schrittweise erläutert der Autor notwendige Begriffe, wie Symmetrie, Galois Gruppe, Restklassen- Arithmetik und Garben; seine Darstellung wird durch Geschichten, wie er sich dieser Materie im Laufe seines wissenschaftlichen Werdegangs genähert hat, immer wieder aufgelockert.

Sein Weg ins Herz der Mathematik...

Germany on Feb 21, 2015

Julia Mira: What I REALLY like about this book is that Frenkel talks about real math without talking down to the reader. I don't follow it all, since I did not read it as carefully as it needs to be read, but I will take another pass at it soon. This is in contrast to textbooks, which 1. I wouldn't be able to follow at all since I don't have the background nor will I spend the time to get it, and 2. I would probably never re-read a math textbook. Come on, really? Nope.

I read "My Brain is Open" about Paul Erdos a few years ago, and loaned it out, so I can't remember for sure how it compares to this one, but I think I was left a little frustrated. Paul Erdos collaborated in many mathematical ventures, but as I remember, it is assumed the reader couldn't possibly follow what they were.

Edward Frenkel makes the attempt. I am flattered and delighted. He is skillful enough in this so that I want to rise to the occasion.

In addition, he tells the story of his own life and career in an engaging way.

One of the things that I find remarkable in Frenkel's account is the view into a mostly-male field that isn't about soldiering or something similarly physical. As a woman, I...

United States on Oct 03, 2014

M. Torres: I'm a theoretical physicist with little exposition to the Langlands program and I felt very inspired by these ideas presented in a very simple way.

Brazil on Aug 14, 2014