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Love and Math Paperback – September 9, 2014

by Edward Frenkel (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 790 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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An awesome, globe-spanning, and New York Times bestselling journey through the beauty and power of mathematics

What if you had to take an art class in which you were only taught how to paint a fence? What if you were never shown the paintings of van Gogh and Picasso, weren't even told they existed? Alas, this is how math is taught, and so for most of us it becomes the intellectual equivalent of watching paint dry.

In Love and Math, renowned mathematician Edward Frenkel reveals a side of math we've never seen, suffused with all the beauty and elegance of a work of art. In this heartfelt and passionate book, Frenkel shows that mathematics, far from occupying a specialist niche, goes to the heart of all matter, uniting us across cultures, time, and space.

Love and Math tells two intertwined stories: of the wonders of mathematics and of one young man's journey learning and living it. Having braved a discriminatory educational system to become one of the twenty-first century's leading mathematicians, Frenkel now works on one of the biggest ideas to come out of math in the last 50 years: the Langlands Program. Considered by many to be a Grand Unified Theory of mathematics, the Langlands Program enables researchers to translate findings from one field to another so that they can solve problems, such as Fermat's last theorem, that had seemed intractable before.

At its core, Love and Math is a story about accessing a new way of thinking, which can enrich our lives and empower us to better understand the world and our place in it. It is an invitation to discover the magic hidden universe of mathematics.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 9, 2014
  4. Grade level
    8 and up
  5. Reading age
    13 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.76 x 8.25 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0465064957
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0465064953
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A New York Times Science Bestseller

"Powerful, passionate and inspiring."―New York Times

"Love and Math is a book by a very brilliant Russian-born mathematician, Edward Frenkel, who tells his life story while he's telling you some of the fundamentals of mathematics in language that interested laypeople can understand."―Moshe Safdie, New York Times, Sunday Review

"[Frenkel's] winsome new memoir... is three things: a Platonic love letter to mathematics; an attempt to give the layman some idea of its most magnificent drama-in-progress; and an autobiographical account, by turns inspiring and droll, of how the author himself came to be a leading player in that drama." ―New York Review of Books

"With every page, I found my mind's eye conjuring up a fictional image of the book's author, writing by candlelight in the depths of the Siberian winter like Omar Sharif's Doctor Zhivago in the David Lean movie adaptation of Pasternak's famous novel. Love and Math is Edward Frenkel's Lara poems... As is true for all the great Russian novels, you will find in Frenkel's tale that one person's individual story of love and overcoming adversity provides both a penetrating lens on society and a revealing mirror into the human mind." ―Keith Devlin, Huffington Post

"Love and Math = fast-paced adventure story + intimate memoir + insider's account of the quest to decode a Rosetta Stone at the heart of modern math. It all adds up to a thrilling intellectual ride--and a tale of surprising passion."―Steven Strogatz, Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics, Cornell University, and author of The Joy of x

"Through his fascinating autobiography, mathematician Edward Frenkel is opening for us a window into the ambitious Langlands Program--a sweeping network that interconnects many branches of mathematics and physics. A breathtaking view of modern mathematics."―Mario Livio, astrophysicist, and author of The Golden Ratio and Brilliant Blunders

"This very readable, passionately written, account of some of the most exciting ideas in modern mathematics is highly recommended to all who are curious lovers of beauty."―David Gross, Nobel Laureate in Physics

"I don't know if I've ever used the words love and math together, but this book changed that. In the tradition of his heroes Andre Weil and C. N. Yang, Edward Frenkel writes of the objective beauty of numbers. Like musical notes, they exist apart from the mind, daring us to fathom their depths and assemble them in arcane narratives that tell the story of us. Reading this book, one is compelled to drop everything and give math another try; to partake of the ultimate mystery."―Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files

"Two fascinating narratives are interwoven in Love and Math, one mathematical, the other personal... Frenkel deftly takes the reader ... to the far reaches of our current understanding. He seeks to lay bare the beauty of mathematics for everyone. As he writes, 'There is nothing in this world that is so deep and exquisite and yet so readily available to all.'"―Nature

"Reasoning that some of us are unwilling to engage with maths because we cannot see it, Professor Frenkel relates it tirelessly to things we can. A colourful paean to numbers."―The Guardian (UK)

"Fascinating... By using analogies, [Frenkel] describes concepts such as symmetries, dimensions, and Riemann surfaces in a way that will enable nonmathematicians to understand them. Whether or not readers develop a love for math, they will get a glimpse of the love that Frenkel has for the subject. Recommended for all readers, math whizzes or not, inclined to be interested in the subject."―Library Journal

"Frenkel reveals the joy of pure intellectual discovery in this autobiographical story of determination, passion, and the Langlands program... Frenkel's gusto will draw readers into his own quest, pursuing the deepest realities of mathematics as if it were 'a giant jigsaw puzzle, in which no one knows what the final image is going to look like.'"―Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating peek into the author's life and work."―Kirkus Reviews

"Frenkel pares the technical details to a minimum as he reflects on the platonic transcendence of mathematical concepts and marvels at their mysterious utility in explaining physical phenomena. Not merely dry formulas in textbooks, the math Frenkel celebrates fosters freedom and, yes, even distills the essence of love. A breathtaking personal and intellectual odyssey."―Booklist

"Part ode, part autobiography, Love and Math is an admirable attempt to lay bare the beauty of numbers for all to see."―Scientific American

About the Author

Edward Frenkel is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, and was previously on the faculty at Harvard University. The winner of the Hermann Weyl Prize in mathematical physics, he has contributed articles to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, Slate, and the Scientific American blog.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (September 9, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465064957
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465064953
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.76 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 790 ratings

About the author

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Edward Frenkel

Edward Frenkel

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Edward Frenkel is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, which he joined in 1997 after being on the faculty at Harvard University. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, and the winner of the Hermann Weyl Prize in mathematical physics. Frenkel's recent work has focused on the Langlands Program and dualities in Quantum Field Theory. He has authored 3 books and over 90 scholarly articles in academic journals, and he has lectured on his work around the world. His YouTube videos have garnered millions of views.

Frenkel's latest book "Love and Math" was a New York Times bestseller, won the Euler Book Prize, and has been named one of the Best Books of the year by both Amazon and iBooks. It has been published in 18 languages and has been a bestseller in several countries, including Brazil, Spain, Portugal, and Japan.

Frenkel has contributed articles to The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Slate, The Atlantic, Huffington Post, and Scientific American, and has been interviewed on The Colbert Report and numerous radio programs.

Visit http://www.edwardfrenkel.com

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
790 global ratings
This book's Kindle rendering is broken
4 Stars
This book's Kindle rendering is broken
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.
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Top reviews from the United States

Iatrophus Lauroti
5.0 out of 5 stars A Successful Tight Rope Journey Of Advanced Mathematics
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2015
Verified Purchase
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 mathematician.

There are many ways to read this book and benefit - however I find that because the mathematics he is discussing is so advanced, it will probably appeal most to people who are interested or intrigued with mathematics (and quantum physics). It will help mathematicians explain their concepts in simpler language, and help lay people understand part of why mathematics is so beautiful and powerful.

The topics include group theory, knot theory, analysis, number theory, sheaf theory, abstract algebra, gauge theory, and the laglands program which ties many of these ideas together.

While the book succeeds in presenting extremely advanced mathematical ideas in very simple language, any passionate reader should read the book multiple times to truly absorb the concepts and see the connections at a deeper level.

For a comparison - The book is nowhere near as challenging, rigorous, or complicated as roger penrose's road to reality. At the same time, it is more conceptually focused than ian stewart's books. It is more rigorous than Steven Stroglat'z 'joy of x' - All of these characteristics form its strength - I will happily recommend this book to anyone interested in mathematics or wanting to understand quantum physics better.
23 people found this helpful
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Gary L Robison
4.0 out of 5 stars Love and Math go together
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2014
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I love this book. But, then, I teach math. Frenkel perfectly describes the frustration/thrill cycle of solving difficult problems. In that sense, he does a great job of explaining the experience of doing mathematics and why some of love it.

My reservation about the book is that he's writing for those who don't 'get' the love of math, but his experience of math is at an extremely high level. The explanations of math sometimes work and sometimes require work on the reader's part. His area and level of expertise is challenging for me to comprehend fully, so the person who feels like an outsider in the field probably will still feel that way.

Nonetheless, the book is worth reading for the fascinating story of Frenkel's life and experiences, even if you skim over the math. Frenkel, because of his Jewish heritage, struggled to get the education he wanted in the Soviet Union. That struggle and the generosity of the mathematics community is inspiring and heart-warming. He also tells good, human tales about other mathematicians who are writing the book of 21st century math and science.
5 people found this helpful
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Julia Mira
5.0 out of 5 stars What I REALLY like about this book is that Frenkel talks about real ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2014
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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 did take four years of math in college but didn't continue. It wasn't because I didn't like it - I loved it! It was because of the toxic posturing that accompanies the field, or at least, in my college it seemed to. We students were subtly and not-so-subtly evaluated by our professors and classmates to see if we had "what it takes" to be a great mathematician. One of my professors actually called the other female student in my year to his office and told her that, while she would never be a first-tier mathematician, she had what it took to become a second-tier thinker and she should consider going into math as a career. When she told me about this, she was crying. She did math because she liked to do it, and it had not occurred to her that such rankings were part of the winnowing process. I, of course, was also devastated because clearly I was not even going to be second-tier. Neither of us continued in the field, though, looking back, I think that we should have. Female brains are different than male brains, and we both frequently noted that we found some classes hard and others easy, and that seemed to be in inverse relationship to what our male classmates found. If we had gone on in the "difficult" fields that we thought were easy, who knows where it might have led?

With what we know now about the relationship between focused practice and achievement, it seems insane to worry so much about what minds look like in the moment. If my friend had wanted to become a first-tier mathematician, she ought to have been advised to do what Frenkel does, that is, think about math all the time and poke around in the literature and talk to other mathematicians and think about it some more and talk with colleagues some more and do that with passion and verve. I personally work very well in collaboration, but collaboration, while Frenkel talks about it a LOT, was not encouraged in my college. It was too important to evaluate how brilliant people were as they stood alone. The one time I did hang out with a mathematician who was in a class further on than mine, I did so well in the class that we had been talking about, that I went to the professor and confessed that I had an unfair advantage. He said that cheating was frowned upon but he would let it pass this time. I certainly never made the mistake of cheating by talking to another mathematician again!

And now, as I read Frenkel, I see how crucial that is. Of course.
27 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Un libro muy motivante
Reviewed in Mexico on February 7, 2024
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Es interesante como narra los retos, dificultadas que impone la vida, el esfuerzo que debe imprimirse para sobreponerse a ellas, y en el viaje cuenta como su pasión y el amor por las matemáticas lo guían a desarrollarse como persona y profesionista.

Excelente libro, muy inspirador !!!
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Amazoncustomer6969
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in India on March 18, 2024
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Superb book to read about maths. It rejuvinated the child in me.
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Álvaro
5.0 out of 5 stars Livro apaixonante
Reviewed in Spain on January 26, 2024
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O livro toca em temas extrenamente complexos, o que pode desmotivar os leitores mais para o final. Contudo parece-me que é isso mesmo que se quer ser transmitido que fazer matemática é complexo e apaixonante, mesmo que não se perceba os promenores essas ideias de mais alto nível é que devem passar ao leitor.
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Le
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2019
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Very enjoyable book to read! Recommend to everyone who may or may not hate mathematics.
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Kocsonya
5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting read
Reviewed in Australia on May 19, 2023
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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 first and foremost curiosity, the inner drive to discover the unknown.
A very engaging read and even if you can't follow the math, you can just skim over it and still get the story.
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