The Parsimonious Universe

Shape and Form in the Natural World
1996
ISBN: 978-0-387-97991-5
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 330 Seiten, Book, Gewicht: 1015 g

Why does nature prefer some shapes and not others? The variety of sizes, shapes, and irregularities in nature is endless. Skillfully integrating striking full-color illustrations, the authors describe the efforts by scientists and mathematicians since the Renaissance to identify and describe the principles underlying the shape of natural forms. But can one set of laws account for both the symmetry and irregularity as well as the infinite variety of nature's designs? A complete answer to this question is likely never to be discovered. Yet, it is fascinating to see how the search for some simple universal laws down through the ages has increased our understanding of nature. TheParsimoniousUniverse looks at examples from the world around us at a non-mathematical, non-technical level to show that nature achieves efficiency by being stingy with the energy it expends.

Zielgruppe

Popular/general

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hildebrandt, Stefan

Tromba, Anthony

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Prologue: On Form and Shape.- 1 A Grand Scheme of the World.- 2 The Heritage of Ancient Science.- 3 Shortest and Quickest Connections.- 4 A Miracle and Not a Miracle.- 5 Soap Films: The Amusement of Children and Mathematicians.- 6 Optimal Design.- Epilogue: Dynamics and Motion.- References, Comments, and Further Readings.- Sources of Quotations.- Sources of Illustrations.