Math Girls 1

Hiroshi YukiPosts & Telecom Press2016

Rating 4.4
Word count
325K words
Chapters
6
Series
Math Girls
ISBN
9787115410351

Tags

Children's Books Reading Reference Elementary MathematicsMathematicsSlow ReadingCase AnalysisPopular Narrative

Summary

Math Girls 1 is the first volume of the Math Girls series by Japanese technical writer Hiroshi Yuki, presented in the form of a campus novel: a first-year high school student "I," his classmate and brilliant girl Milka, his junior Tetra, and his cousin Yuri discuss, after school in the library and classroom, a series of seemingly simple sequence problems, taking abstract mathematical concepts apart and reassembling them bit by bit. This volume starts with sequences and mathematical models, then moves through elementary mathematics topics including the general term and recursion of sequences, the Fibonacci sequence, the idea of "from the finite to the infinite," convolution and generating-function-style handling, harmonic numbers, Taylor expansion, the Basel problem, and partition numbers, linking high school to introductory university mathematics from easy to difficult. Mathematical explanations are interwoven with character dialogue, and problem-solving ideas are written as scenes of teenagers challenging and inspiring one another, preserving the rigor of mathematical derivation while letting readers see the joy of "figuring a problem out." The series is known in Japan as a "superb popular mathematics book" and has been recommended by the Mathematical Society of Japan; this volume is the opening work of the series.

Editor's review

这是一本不太一样的数学书：它不是题库，也不是公式手册，而是一部把“解题”放进青春故事里的数学小说。作者结城浩本身是程序员与技术作家，擅长把复杂概念拆成能一步步跟上的讲解，于是数列、斐波那契、调和数、泰勒展开、巴塞尔问题这些原本分散在不同年级的名字，被人物之间的追问串成一条有温度的线。读者跟着主人公在樱花树下、图书馆和教室里推演，会发现数学的难点往往不在计算，而在于“为什么想到这一步”。对怕数学的读者，它降低了门槛；对爱数学的读者，它提供了一种慢慢品味证明过程的方式。第一册是整套系列最合适的入口：不必预备高深知识，高中水平即可进入，读完之后再按主题延伸到费马大定理、哥德尔不完备定理等后续各册，会更有整体感。

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. 先读序言与第1章，跟着人物做一道数列题，适应“对话式讲解”的节奏后再往下读。
  2. 遇到推导不要跳读，拿纸笔跟着写一遍，效果远好于只看结论。
  3. 每读完一章，尝试自己复述一次该章的核心想法，比记住公式更有价值。
  4. 可把本书当作系列入口，读完后再按兴趣选择后续的分册主题。

About the publisher

Posts & Telecom Press China · Founded in 1953

Posts & Telecom Press is known for its strengths in science and technology, computing, and information and communications titles, and has extended its publishing into photography, art, software learning, and inspirational growth, giving it a fairly diverse range. Its catalog includes computing and communications works such as Refactoring and Patterns (Revised Edition) and Huawei Switch Learning Guide (Second Edition), alongside bilingual collector's editions such as The Little Prince (Chinese-English-French illustrated collector's edition), The Great Gatsby, and Three Days to See. Beijing Ten Years: 1980-1990 and Ghost Blade: WLOP Personal Illustration Collection reflect its presence in photography and art. Its authors include Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Helen Keller, Joshua Kerievsky, Wang Da, Zhang Zhaozeng, and WLOP.

Contents

  1. To the Reader
  2. Preface
  3. Chapter 1 Sequences and Mathematical Models
  4. 1.1 Under the Cherry Tree
  5. 1.2 At Home
  6. 1.3 Sequence Puzzles Have No Right Answer

FAQ

这本书是小说还是数学书？ 两者都是。它以校园中几位年轻人讨论数学的故事为框架，数学讲解占据大量篇幅，属于“数学小说”式的科普读物，而非纯粹的文学小说或习题集。
读这本书需要什么数学基础？ 大致具备高中阶段的数学知识即可入门。书中内容从数列出发，逐步涉及泰勒展开、巴塞尔问题等偏大学的主题，作者会从头讲起，但部分章节仍需耐心跟读。
《数学女孩1》和全系列是什么关系？ 它是《数学女孩》系列的第一册，主题为数列与初等数学；后续各册分别以费马大定理、哥德尔不完备定理、随机算法、伽罗瓦理论等为主题，可独立阅读，但按顺序读更连贯。
书里有习题和答案吗？ 书中以人物讨论和讲解形式呈现数学问题，更像引导读者一同思考的例题，而非配答案的练习册；适合边读边自己演算。

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About the author

Hiroshi Yuki Author

Hiroshi Yuki is a Japanese author known for works that popularize mathematics; public information about personal details such as his nationality and dates of birth and death is limited. Four of his works are available in the collection, most notably the "Math Girls" series, including Math Girls, Math Girls 2: Fermat's Last Theorem, and Math Girls 1. The series is often classified under literature, foreign literature, science and technology, science popularization, children's books, and reading reference works, which indicates that the books combine storytelling with knowledge and can introduce mathematical themes to young readers and general audiences. Overall, Yuki's writing introduces mathematical concepts through narrative, creating an intersection between popular science and literary reading that suits readers who wish to approach mathematics in an accessible way.