The Gravity of Math - by Steve Nadis & Shing-Tung Yau (Hardcover)

About the Book

"On November 25th, 1915, Albert Einstein published his field equations of general relativity and reinvented gravity. Rather than being some mysterious unseen force pulling objects together, gravity, Einstein told the world, is a manifestation of the curvature of space-time caused by the presence of massive objects. But Einstein's theory wasn't born in a vacuum, not even the vacuum of space. Instead, the theory of general relativity relies upon complicated geometry; Einstein worked closely with mathematicians Marcel Grossmann, David Hilbert, Tullio Levi-Civita, and others as he pieced together his theory of gravity. In The Gravity of Math, the writer Steve Nadis and mathematician Shing-Tung Yau tell the story of how our view of the universe has been shaped and informed by mathematics, particularly when it comes to the enigmatic workings of gravity. Mathematicians have played a pivotal role in investigating relativity and gravity, gaining insights on phenomena like black holes, gravitational waves, and the Big Bang - in some cases uncovering key results decades, or even a century, before any experimental or observational data became available. An insightful and comprehensive study, The Gravity of Math explores how our understanding of math has defined our understanding of the universe. Gravity's reach is ostensibly boundless, and so is that of mathematics, which can carry us to the edge of infinity and back"--

Book Synopsis

"A must-read."―Avi Loeb, New York Times-bestselling author of Extraterrestrial

One of the preeminent mathematicians of the past half century shows how physics and math were combined to give us the theory of gravity and the dizzying array of ideas and insights that has come from it

Mathematics is far more than just the language of science. It is a critical underpinning of nature. The famed physicist Albert Einstein demonstrated this in 1915 when he showed that gravity--long considered an attractive force between massive objects--was actually a manifestation of the curvature, or geometry, of space and time. But in making this towering intellectual leap, Einstein needed the help of several mathematicians, including Marcel Grossmann, who introduced him to the geometrical framework upon which his theory rest.

In The Gravity of Math, Steve Nadis and Shing-Tung Yau consider how math can drive and sometimes even anticipate discoveries in physics. Examining phenomena like black holes, gravitational waves, and the Big Bang, Nadis and Yau ask: Why do mathematical statements, derived solely from logic, provide the best descriptions of our physical world?

The Gravity of Math offers an insightful and compelling look into the power of mathematics--whose reach, like that of gravity, can extend to the edge of the universe.

Review Quotes

"This book explores the many ways that concepts, techniques, and tools of geometrical reasoning have contributed to the physics of gravitational theory. A consistent theme of the book is the dynamic interplay between mathematicians and physicists, as they approach the questions of gravitational theory using their own ideas and approaches but often playing their ideas off one another."--Bill Satzer, Mathematical Association of America Reviews

"With plenty of current experiments and active mathematics research branching out from general relativity, this book is sure to please a wide audience".--Emily J. Olson, Notices of the AMS

"A systematic, up-to-date, and astonishingly readable account of the evolution of the concept of gravity, as told from a mathematical perspective. This book is remarkably lucid, as well as engaging; its prose is elegant and jargon-free. Readers will learn that when an apple falls to the ground under the influence of gravity, much of that descent - and its subsequent impact - stems from the power of mathematics." --Hung-Hsi Wu, University of California at Berkeley

"The narrative flows beautifully, and the anecdotes bring the characters to life."--Sayan Mitra, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

"The best account on the crucial role played by mathematics in the formulation and development of general relativity that I have read so far."
--Sergiu Klainerman, Princeton University

"A captivating and comprehensive journey through the mathematics of gravity and its unresolved puzzles from the Big Bang to the formation of black holes. There are no better authors to tell the story than the brilliant mathematician Shing-Tung Yau and the exceptional science writer Steve Nadis. A must-read."--Avi Loeb, New York Times-bestselling author of Extraterrestrial

"A splendid rendition of one of our greatest scientific sagas, including the most recent instalments: this story of general relativity describes the mind-blowing union of gravitation and geometry, deftly weaving math and mass. A book on gravity that readers will fall for."--Karl Sigmund, author of The Waltz of Reason

"This book will leave you amazed at how brilliant human thought discovered the intimate connection between the falling of an apple on Earth and the existence of a massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. With superb technical explanations and polished prose, this book illustrates how real mathematical physics can give even the most imaginative science fiction some pretty stiff competition for excitement."--Paul Nahin, University of New Hampshire

"With clarity and finesse, Nadis and Yau chronicle the deep connections between mathematics and physical reality, from Einsteinian relativity to string theory. The Gravity of Math offers a literary treat for anyone looking for lucid explanations of the deep principles underlying contemporary physics."--Paul Halpern, author of The Allure of the Multiverse

About the Author

Steve Nadis, a contributing editor to Discover magazine and a contributing writer to Quanta, lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Shing-Tung Yau is a mathematics professor at Tsinghua University and professor emeritus at Harvard University. The recipient of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, and a MacArthur Fellowship, he lives in Beijing.

This is the fifth book that Nadis and Yau have written together.