As Five Books, we do our best to ensure that finding a gift for that special mathematician in your life is as easy as pi! In our view, books make the best presents, and to that end here’s our list of the best mathematics books of 2019. But what’s out there beyond books? Last year, we asked Professor Nick Higham (whose interview on applied mathematics has been VERY popular on our site), for some suggestions. His recommendation: stationery. As he writes in his blog, “There is a lot to be said for writing mathematics on paper, at least for early drafts.”
1
So first of all, something to write on. Dot-grid paper is apparently where it's at. "It could be just what you need to unleash your mathematical (or other) creativity," suggests Professor Higham. Note: these Leuchtturm dot-grid notebooks are available in a variety of colours.
2
The Rhodia A5 is another option for a dot-grid notebook. Just one piece of advice when it come to notebooks: avoid Moleskine. It's totally not in with mathematicians these days.
3
Now we have a notebook selected, it's time to look at the tools that'll be needed to write on it. According to Prof Higham, "A lot of mathematics is still written by hand in pencil" and the Palomino Blackwing has a cult following.
4
This deluxe Tornado rollerball pen writes very smoothly. It's named for Albert Einstein and bears the proof of E=mc^2 on its body.
5
Fermat's last theorem has been solved, but fortunately for the mathematician in your life, the travelling salesman problem has not been. Unbelievably, we still don't know how to calculate the quickest way to get from A to B, C, D etc. Reading this book is the ideal way to while away the hours after a big holiday lunch. Also, rather excitingly, the TSP is one of the Clay Mathematics Institute's 'millennium problems' for whose solution there is a cash prize of $1 million!
1
So first of all, something to write on. Dot-grid paper is apparently where it's at. "It could be just what you need to unleash your mathematical (or other) creativity," suggests Professor Higham. Note: these Leuchtturm dot-grid notebooks are available in a variety of colours.
2
The Rhodia A5 is another option for a dot-grid notebook. Just one piece of advice when it come to notebooks: avoid Moleskine. It's totally not in with mathematicians these days.
3
Now we have a notebook selected, it's time to look at the tools that'll be needed to write on it. According to Prof Higham, "A lot of mathematics is still written by hand in pencil" and the Palomino Blackwing has a cult following.
4
This deluxe Tornado rollerball pen writes very smoothly. It's named for Albert Einstein and bears the proof of E=mc^2 on its body.
5
Fermat's last theorem has been solved, but fortunately for the mathematician in your life, the travelling salesman problem has not been. Unbelievably, we still don't know how to calculate the quickest way to get from A to B, C, D etc. Reading this book is the ideal way to while away the hours after a big holiday lunch. Also, rather excitingly, the TSP is one of the Clay Mathematics Institute's 'millennium problems' for whose solution there is a cash prize of $1 million!
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