Unequal

Why the familiar equal sign is 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?  ?  A?New Scientist?Best Book of the Year?  Math is famous for its equations: 1 + 1 = 2,?a^2?+ b^2?= c^2, or?y = mx + b.?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?is?a world of shapes, symmetries,?and?logical ideas. 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!?That’s?because mathematics?isn’t?a series of rules, facts, or answers.?It’s?an invitation to a more powerful way?of thinking.