Is Maths Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics' Deepest Truths

One of the world's most creative mathematicians offers new ways to look at maths - focusing on questions, not answers

A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023 A _NEW SCIENTIST_ BEST BOOK OF 2023 WINNER OF THE _LA TIMES_ SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023 BOOK PRIZE 'A generous tour of mathematics for anyone whose instincts tend less towards "Just tell me the answer" and more towards "Wait, but why?"' JORDAN ELLENBERG To many, maths feels like an unmapped wilderness. Between abstract concepts like imaginary numbers and infinity, it can sometimes feel like a lot of maths is just made up. Why, for example, is 1 not a prime? Why do two negatives cancel each other out? Where does trigonometry come from? Is maths even real? Abstract mathematician Eugenia Cheng shows that curiosity is the best teacher. _Is Maths Real?_ takes us on a scintillating tour of the simple questions that provoke mathematics' deepest insights. 'Intriguing...celebrates the dizziness and disorientation engendered by childlike questions that hint at the deep mysteries beneath' _NEW SCIENTIST_ 'Masterfully uncovers what's simply profound in the profoundly simple' FRANCIS SU 'Discover what it feels like to be a real mathematician' _DAILY TELEGRAPH_