Street-fighting mathematics : the art of educated guessing and opportunistic problem solving /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Mahajan, Sanjoy, 1969-
Imprint:Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, ©2010.
Description:1 online resource (xv, 134 pages) : illustrations
Language:English
Series:Book collections on Project MUSE.
Subject:
Format: E-Resource Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/11211842
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9780262265881
0262265885
9780262514293
026251429X
9780262135078
0262135078
Digital file characteristics:data file
Notes:Includes bibliographical references (pages 123-125) and index.
Print version record.
Summary:"In Street-Fighting Mathematics, Sanjoy Mahajan builds, sharpens, and demonstrates tools for educated guessing and down-and-dirty, opportunistic problem solving across diverse fields of knowledge - from mathematics to management. Mahajan describes six tools: dimensional analysis, easy cases, lumping, picture proofs, successive approximation, and reasoning by analogy. Illustrating each tool with numerous examples, he carefully separates the tool - the general principle - from the particular application so that the reader can most easily grasp the tool itself to use on problems of particular interest." "Street-Fighting Mathematics grew out of a short course taught by the author at MIT for students ranging from first-year undergraduates to graduate students ready for careers in physics, mathematics, management, electrical engineering, computer science, and biology. They benefited from an approach that avoided rigor and taught them how to use mathematics to solve real problems."--Jacket.
Other form:Print version: Mahajan, Sanjoy, 1969- Street-fighting mathematics. Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, ©2010 9780262514293
Standard no.:9786612541865