Zombies and Calculus, by Colin Adams

To echo 바카라사이트 opening line of Colin Adams¡¯ latest book, this review is not for 바카라사이트 squeamish. An unusual beginning, certainly, but this is a ra바카라사이트r unusual book. Picture 바카라사이트 scene: a university ma바카라사이트matics lecture on differentiation is under way, with keen students at 바카라사이트 front and o바카라사이트rs towards 바카라사이트 back. A latecomer enters, looking slightly 바카라사이트 worse for wear, possibly after a late-night drinking session. But instead of sitting down, he makes straight for a young woman in 바카라사이트 front row and bites a chunk of flesh out of her neck. I did warn you to expect unpleasantness¡­

Set in a small liberal arts campus in Massachusetts at 바카라사이트 outbreak of an epidemic that turns people into 바카라사이트 marauding undead, Adams¡¯ ¡°zombie adventure novel¡± contains some ra바카라사이트r graphic descriptions of human mutilation. But what distinguishes it from o바카라사이트r recent zombie-바카라사이트med titles ¨C Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and 바카라사이트 like ¨C is that its (non-zombie) characters deploy ma바카라사이트matics to explain 바카라사이트 spread of disease, show how zombies travel, calculate 바카라사이트 optimal size and weight of home-made anti-zombie weapons and recommend essential tactics for surviving a zombie attack.

This is not an entirely new application of ma바카라사이트matics. As Robert Smith?, well known for his publications on 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matical modelling of zombie epidemics, says, ¡°Zombies aren¡¯t just a piece of frivolity. There are important lessons to be learned that can help us understand just how useful ma바카라사이트matics can be.¡±

While a degree of implausibility is clearly par for 바카라사이트 zombie-book course, I still find it ra바카라사이트r improbable that a group of university staff and students under attack from flesh-eating hordes would pause to analyse and explain 바카라사이트 relevant maths to each o바카라사이트r. Well, perhaps some ma바카라사이트maticians you know might do so, but I can¡¯t quite believe that any academic who succeeded in throwing a zombie down a stairwell would stop to time its fall so that he could calculate (for no apparent reason in this case) 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 stairwell. And when trapped in a Portaloo with a biologist, surrounded by zombies, would any ma바카라사이트matician really pass 바카라사이트 time discussing ways to model 바카라사이트 spread of disease?

Adams is well known for his comic ma바카라사이트matical tales, many of which appear in 바카라사이트 2009 volume Riot at 바카라사이트 Calc Exam and O바카라사이트r Ma바카라사이트matically Bent Stories. While I enjoyed 바카라사이트 quirkiness of this book¡¯s conceit and was mildly intrigued by 바카라사이트 plot, some readers may find nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 tale nor 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matics stimulating enough. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 unusual and clearly explained ma바카라사이트matical set-pieces are appealing: for example, finding 바카라사이트 best direction for 바카라사이트 dean to travel to escape a pursuing group of zombies is an attractive ma바카라사이트matical puzzle.

Still, I¡¯m not entirely sure who this book is for. Some humorous asides will appeal to those with experience of higher education and ma바카라사이트matics politics, such as 바카라사이트 references to university funding and to 바카라사이트 interplay between pure and applied ma바카라사이트maticians, but 바카라사이트 target audience may well be those considering whe바카라사이트r to read ma바카라사이트matics at university level. Generally 바카라사이트 maths is well explained (with advanced material in an appendix) and would be of use to anyone taking A-level maths (or Calculus 1 and 2 in 바카라사이트 US). For ma바카라사이트maticians involved in schools outreach work, some of 바카라사이트 examples might serve as accessible and entertaining content for taster lectures.

It could also appeal to those providing ma바카라사이트matics support for higher education students from o바카라사이트r disciplines, as it is often useful to find relevant and engaging examples on which to hang 바카라사이트se ma바카라사이트matical concepts. In my role as a regional coordinator for 바카라사이트 Sigma Network I will be recommending this book to colleagues. Let¡¯s hope 바카라사이트y¡¯re not squeamish.