The Best Writing in Mathematics 2017

With a shrewd eye for topics both obscure and practical, Pitici chooses a variety of thoroughly accessible works that tie abstract math to the real world in this eighth installment of the annual series. In “Why Kids Should Use Their Fingers in Math Class,” Jo Boaler and Lang Chen present solid neurological evidence to support the value of counting on your fingers, noting that “visual math is powerful for all learners.” Graham Southorn’s “Great Expectations: The Past, Present, and Future” makes comprehensible the best and worst ways to predict events accurately. In “A Unified Theory of Randomness,” Kevin Hartnett looks at how random numbers can be used to explore an array of subjects, including one-dimensional paths in nature, two-dimensional surface growth, and quantum strings. Even Yogi Berra comes under consideration, as Lloyd N. Trefethen applies some of the late baseball star’s malapropistic wit to the study of mathematical statements that are literally true but convey something that’s false. Other essays cover topics such as prime numbers, Iranian decorative tiling, time travel, and Renaissance art. Pitici gives readers an entertaining look at the odd, the amusing, and the utilitarian without requiring any more than a readerly curiosity. (Nov.)