Du Sautoy M. Symmetry: A Journey Into the Patterns of Nature

HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2008. — 387 p.Combining a rich historical narrative with his own personal journey as a mathematician, Marcus du Sautoy takes a unique look into the mathematical mind as he explores deep conjectures about symmetry and brings us face-to-face with the oddball mathematicians, both past and present, who have battled to understand symmetry's elusive qualities. He explores what is perhaps the most exciting discovery to date—the summit of mathematicians' mastery in the field—the Monster, a huge snowflake that exists in 196,883-dimensional space with more symmetries than there are atoms in the sun.
What is it like to solve an ancient mathematical problem in a flash of inspiration? What is it like to be shown, ten minutes later, that you've made a mistake? What is it like to see the world in mathematical terms, and what can that tell us about life itself? In Symmetry, Marcus du Sautoy investigates these questions and shows mathematical novices what it feels like to grapple with some of the most complex ideas the human mind can comprehend.August: Endings and Beginnings
September: The Next Roll of the Dice
October: The Palace of Symmetry
November: Tribal Gathering
December: Connections
January: Impossibilities
February: Revolution
March: Indivisible Shapes
April: Sounding Symmetry
May: Exploitation
June: Sporadic
July: ReflectionsFurther Reading
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