Math Made Visual

by Claudi Alsina and Roger B Nelsen

Published 6 July 2006
The object of this book is to show how visualization techniques may be employed to produce pictures that have interest for the creation, communication and teaching of mathematics. Mathematical drawings related to proofs have been produced since antiquity in China, Arabia, Greece and India but only in the last thirty years has there been a growing interest in so-called 'proofs without words.' In this book the authors show that behind most of the pictures 'proving' mathematical relations are some well-understood methods. The first part of the book consists of twenty short chapters, each one describing a method to visualize some mathematical idea (a proof, a concept, an operation,...) and several applications to concrete cases. Following this the book examines general pedagogical considerations concerning the development of visual thinking, practical approaches for making visualizations in the classroom and a discussion of the role that hands-on material plays in this process.

Nuggets of Number Theory will attract fans of visual thinking, number theory, and surprising connections. This book contains hundreds of visual explanations of results from elementary number theory. Figurate numbers and Pythagorean triples feature prominently, of course, but there are also proofs of Fermat's Little and Wilson's Theorems. Fibonacci and perfect numbers, Pell's equation, and continued fractions all find visual representation in this charming collection. It will be a rich source of visual inspiration for anyone teaching, or learning, number theory and will provide endless pleasure to those interested in looking at number theory with new eyes. Author Roger Nelsen is a long-time contributor of ``Proofs Without Words'' in the MAA's Mathematics Magazine and College Mathematics Journal. This is his twelfth book with MAA Press.

Proofs Without Words

by Roger B Nelsen

Published 1 January 1993
Proofs without words are generally pictures or diagrams that help the reader see why a particular mathematical statement may be true, and how one could begin to go about proving it. While in some proofs without words an equation or two may appear to help guide that process, the emphasis is clearly on providing visual clues to stimulate mathematical thought.

The proofs in this collection are arranged by topic into five chapters: Geometry and algebra; Trigonometry, calculus and analytic geometry; Inequalities; Integer sums; and Sequences and series. Teachers will find that many of the proofs in this collection are well suited for classroom discussion and for helping students to think visually in mathematics.

Proofs Without Words II

by Roger B Nelsen

Published 28 February 2020
Like its predecessor, Proofs without Words, this book is a collection of pictures or diagrams that help the reader see why a particular mathematical statement may be true and how one could begin to go about proving it. While in some proofs without words an equation or two may appear to help guide that process, the emphasis is clearly on providing visual clues to stimulate mathematical thought.

The proofs in this collection are arranged by topic into five chapters: geometry and algebra; trigonometry, calculus and analytic geometry; inequalities; integer sums; and sequences and series. Teachers will find that many of the proofs in this collection are well suited for classroom discussion and for helping students to think visually in mathematics.