Popular mathematics is mathematical presentation aimed at a general audience. Sometimes this is in the form of books which require no mathematical background and in other cases it is in the form of expository articles written by professional mathematicians to reach out to others working in different areas. It also includes television and film works, as well as museum exhibits.[1] To an extent, it overlaps with recreational mathematics, which is mathematical activity done for entertainment purposes.

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Some of the most prolific popularisers of mathematics include Keith Devlin, Martin Gardner, and Ian Stewart. Titles by these three authors can be found on their respective pages.

On infinity

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  • Rózsa Péter (1961). Playing with Infinity: Mathematical Explorations and Excursions. Simon & Schuster.
  • Rucker, Rudy (1982), Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite; Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-00172-2.
  • Eugenia Cheng (2017). Beyond Infinity: An Expedition to the Outer Limits of Mathematics. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465094813.

On constants

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On the Riemann hypothesis

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On recently solved problems

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On higher dimensions

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On erroneous mathematics

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On introduction to mathematics for the general reader

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On mathematics and culture

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Biographies

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Magazines and journals

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The journals listed below can be found in many university libraries.

  • American Mathematical Monthly is designed to be accessible to a wide audience.
  • The Mathematical Gazette contains letters, book reviews and expositions of attractive areas of mathematics.
  • Mathematics Magazine offers exposition on a wide range of mathematical topics.
  • The Mathematical Intelligencer is a mathematical journal that aims at a conversational and scholarly tone.
  • Notices of the AMS - Each issue contains one or two expository articles that describe current developments in mathematical research, written by professional mathematicians. The Notices also carries articles on the history of mathematics, mathematics education, and professional issues facing mathematicians, as well as reviews of books, plays, movies, and other artistic and cultural works involving mathematics.

Audio and video

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Museums

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Several museums aim at enhancing public understanding of mathematics:

In the United States:

In Austria:

In Germany:

In Italy:

References

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  1. ^ Kissane, Barry (2009). Popular Mathematics. 22nd Biennial Conference of The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (Fremantle, Western Australia, 13/07/2009–16/07/2009). Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers.
  2. ^ Reviews of King of Infinite Space:
    • Alexanderson, Gerald L. (2007). The College Mathematics Journal. 38 (5): 405–408. JSTOR 27646557.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Gray, Jeremy J. (2007). Isis. 98 (4): 875–876. doi:10.1086/529335.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Hershey-Handler, Barbara (2007). The Mathematics Teacher. 101 (4): 318–318. JSTOR 20876122.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Kidwell, Mark E. (2008). The American Mathematical Monthly. 115 (5): 474–476. JSTOR 27642524.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Rothman, Tony (2007). "Meet Mr. Polytope". American Scientist. 95 (2): 179–181. JSTOR 27858939.