Description

‘Playful and deeply serious … shows how exploring equality in maths may help the real world’ NEW SCIENTIST

‘Eugenia Cheng has humour, grace and a natural gift’ DANIEL LEVITIN

‘Clear, clever and friendly…even at her most whimsical, she is rigorous and insightful’ ALEX BELLOS

At first glance, the concept of equality in maths seems unambiguous. When we see the equality sign, we think of ‘solving for x’ or balancing two sides of an equation or maybe even the many famous equations that make use of this elegant, innocuous symbol.

But between those parallel lines lies a mathematical playground of choice and abstraction, leading to far greater insight than you could have dreamed. As it turns out, sameness and difference, equality and inequality, are not nearly as straightforward as they seem.

Unequal explores the rich and rewarding interplay between sameness and difference, from numbers to manifolds to category theory and beyond in a glorious celebration of mathematics that will change the way you look at maths – and the world around you – forever.

Publisher Review

Praise for Is Maths Real? * : * 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, author of ‘Shape’ Intriguing … Celebrates the dizziness and disorientation engendered by childlike questions that hint at the deep mysteries beneath — Anil Ananthaswamy * New Scientist * Passionate, eye-opening and accessible … a love letter to the curious spirit of the discipline * Waterstones Best Books of 2023 * A brilliant rebuttal to those who see math as only about right answers, rather than about creative discovery. [Cheng] masterfully uncovers what’s simply profound in the profoundly simple — Francis Su, author of ‘Mathematics for Human Flourishing’ Discover what it feels like to be a real mathematician … This is a human pursuit, depicted here from the inside — Simon Ings * Telegraph * An entertaining foray into the more philosophical realms of mathematics … for the budding mathematician in the house, to say nothing of lovers of puzzles and enigmas * Kirkus * Praise for x + y * : * ‘A way of seeing this exhausting debate from a completely new angle … bold and optimistic * Guardian * A fascinating, disarmingly accessible read and a wonderful example of what academics should in general do much more of * Irish Times * Compelling … x+y provides useful new tools for change, for those – like me – involved in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. For those who are not yet involved, she sets out reasons to become so. And I’m a new fan of pure mathematics. Dr Cheng, can we be friends? * Nature * This book changed my life in the most beautiful way. Eugenia Cheng doesn’t just explain why the way our society conceptualizes gender is all wrong – she proposes a new way of thinking about – and beyond – gender. Through accessible graphs and brilliant metaphor, Cheng pushes her readers instead to think about a person’s behavior … Stunning — Rebecca Ramirez * NPR *