The Music of the Primes

First UK edition (publ. Fourth Estate)

The Music of the Primes (British subtitle: Why an Unsolved Problem in Mathematics Matters; American subtitle: Searching to Solve the Greatest Mystery in Mathematics) is a 2003 book by Marcus du Sautoy, a professor in mathematics at the University of Oxford, on the history of prime number theory. In particular he examines the Riemann hypothesis, the proof of which would revolutionize our understanding of prime numbers. He traces the prime number theorem back through history, highlighting the work of some of the greatest mathematical minds along the way.

The cover design for the hardback version of the book contains several pictorial depictions of prime numbers, such as the number 73 bus. It also has an image of a clock, referring to clock arithmetic, which is a significant theme in the text.

References[]

Baylis, John (July 2005), "Review of The Music of the Primes", The Mathematical Gazette, 89 (515): 348–351, doi:10.1017/s0025557200178143, JSTOR 3621272
Edwards, Harold M. (December 2004), "Prime obsession; The Music of the Primes; The Riemann Hypothesis", The Mathematical Intelligencer, 26 (1): 55–59, doi:10.1007/bf02985403, S2CID 122755808
Frei-Imfeld, G. (2005), "Review of The Music of the Primes", Mathematical Reviews, MR 2060134
Gowers, W. T. (October 2003), "Prime time for mathematics (review of Prime Obsession and The Music of the Primes)", Nature, 425 (6958): 562, doi:10.1038/425562a
Heawood, Jonathan (August 23, 2003), "Million dollar question: Marcus du Sautoy tries to explain why an unsolved mathematical conundrum matters in The Music of the Primes", The Guardian
Hoffman, Jascha (April–May 2004), "Prime time (review of Prime Obsession, The Riemann Hypothesis, and The Music of the Primes)", Boston Review
Keating, Jonathan P. (June 2004), "Review of The Music of the Primes", Physics Today, 57 (6): 63, doi:10.1063/1.1784279
Langton, Stacy G. (August 2003), "Review of The Music of the Primes", MAA Reviews, Mathematical Association of America
Leutwyler, Kristin (May 2003), "Math's Most Wanted: A trio of books traces the quest to prove the Riemann hypothesis", Scientific American, 288 (5): 94–95, doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0503-94, JSTOR 26060289
"Nonfiction book review", Publishers Weekly
"A must for math buffs", Kirkus Reviews

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