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- Unequal (The Math of When Things Do and Don't Add Up)
Unequal (The Math of When Things Do and Don't Add Up)
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$32.00
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Product Details
Author:
Eugenia Cheng
Format:
Hardcover
Pages:
400
Publisher:
Basic Books (September 2, 2025)
Imprint:
Basic Books
Language:
English
Audience:
General/trade
ISBN-13:
9781541606555
ISBN-10:
1541606558
Weight:
21.92oz
Dimensions:
6.45" x 9.6" x 1.3125"
File:
-hbgusa_onix30_P9814228_03092026-20260309.xml
List Price:
$32.00
Country of Origin:
United States
Pub Discount:
65
Case Pack:
20
As low as:
$24.64
Publisher Identifier:
P-HACH
Discount Code:
A
Overview
An exciting "new perspective on equality and difference" (Stephon Alexander) that shows why the familiar equal sign isn’t just a marker of sameness but a gateway into math’s—and humanity’s—most profound questions
"Eugenia Cheng has opened up my mind to the wondrous world of pure mathematics in a way that I never thought was possible."―Willow Smith, singer and actress
Math is famous for its equations: 1 + 1 = 2, a^2 + b^2 = c^2, or y = mx + b. Much of the time it can seem like that’s all mathematics is: following steps to show that what’s on one side of an equation is the same as what’s on the other.
In Unequal, Eugenia Cheng shows that’s just part of the story, and the boring part to boot. Mathematics isn’t only about showing how numbers and symbols are the same. It isn’t even just about numbers and symbols at all, but a world of shapes, symmetries, logical ideas, and more. And in that world, the boundary between things being equal and unequal is a gray area, or perhaps a rainbow of beautiful, vibrant, subtly nuanced color.
As Unequal shows, once you go over that rainbow, almost everything can be considered equal and unequal at the same time, whether it’s shapes (seen from the right perspective, a circle is the same as an ellipse), words (synonyms), or people—even numbers! It all depends on what features we care about. And it’s up to us what we do about it. That’s because mathematics isn’t a series of rules, facts, or answers. It’s an invitation to a more powerful way of thinking.
"Eugenia Cheng has opened up my mind to the wondrous world of pure mathematics in a way that I never thought was possible."―Willow Smith, singer and actress
Math is famous for its equations: 1 + 1 = 2, a^2 + b^2 = c^2, or y = mx + b. Much of the time it can seem like that’s all mathematics is: following steps to show that what’s on one side of an equation is the same as what’s on the other.
In Unequal, Eugenia Cheng shows that’s just part of the story, and the boring part to boot. Mathematics isn’t only about showing how numbers and symbols are the same. It isn’t even just about numbers and symbols at all, but a world of shapes, symmetries, logical ideas, and more. And in that world, the boundary between things being equal and unequal is a gray area, or perhaps a rainbow of beautiful, vibrant, subtly nuanced color.
As Unequal shows, once you go over that rainbow, almost everything can be considered equal and unequal at the same time, whether it’s shapes (seen from the right perspective, a circle is the same as an ellipse), words (synonyms), or people—even numbers! It all depends on what features we care about. And it’s up to us what we do about it. That’s because mathematics isn’t a series of rules, facts, or answers. It’s an invitation to a more powerful way of thinking.
