Mathematics and Technology

The authors present useful, elegant mathematical concepts such as Markov chains, function iteration and simple groups, and develop these concepts in the context of applications to important, practical problems such as web-navigation, data compression and error correcting codes. The authors highlight how mathematical modeling, together with the power of mathematical tools and abstraction, have been crucial for innovation in technology. The topics are presented with clarity, and the mathematics is expressed in a straightforward manner. Numerous exercises at the end of every section provide practice and reinforce the material in the chapter. An engaging quality of this book is that the authors also put the mathematical material in a historical context and not just a practical one. §Mathematics and Technology is intended for undergraduate students, instructors and high school teachers. Prerequisites are essentially linear algebra and Euclidean geometry. Additionally, its lack of calculus centricity as well as a clear indication of the more difficult topics and relatively advanced references make it suitable for any curious individual with a decent command of high school math.