Mathematics and the Unexpected - Paperback

by Ivar Ekeland (Author)

"Not the least unexpected thing about Mathematics and the Unexpected is that a real mathematician should write not just a literate work, but a literary one."-Ian Stewart, New Scientist

"In this brief, elegant treatise, assessable to anyone who likes to think, Ivar Ekelund explains some philosophical implications of recent mathematics. He examines randomness, the geometry involved in making predictions, and why general trends are easy to project (it will snow in January) but particulars are practically impossible (it will snow from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the 21st)."-Village Voice

Back Jacket

In this brief, elegant treatise, accessible to anyone who likes to think, Ivar Ekeland explains some philosophical implications of recent mathematics.

Author Biography

Ivar Ekeland is president of Université Paris--Dauphine and founder of the Centre de Récherche de mathématiques de la décision. He is the author of several books on mathematics.