Book:Rob Eastaway/How Long is a Piece of String?

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Rob Eastaway and Jeremy Wyndham: How Long is a Piece of String? More hidden mathematics of everyday life

Published $\text {2002}$, Portico

ISBN 978-1-86105-625-2


Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Why Does Monday Come Round So Quickly?
How the numbers of the moon combined to make our week
2 How Do Conmen Get Rich?
Tricks and scams that make people part with their money
3 What Makes a Hit Single?
Patterns and variations that everyone likes
4 Why Won't the Case Fit in the Boot?
How to squeeze things in or keep them apart
5 Should I Phone a Friend?
How to make the big decisions in game shows
6 Is it Quicker to Take the Stairs?
How to reduce waiting times for lifts
7 How Long Is a Piece of String?
The curious world of fractals
8 Why Do Weather Forecasters Get it Wrong?
Unpredictability and chaos
9 Will I Catch Flu Next Winter?
Epidemics and how they spread
10 Am I Being Taken for a Ride?
The formula behind the taximeter
11 Will I Ever Meet the Perfect Partner?
The chances and choices behind coupling up
12 Is It a Fake?
Number tests that can detect the fraudsters
13 Will the Underdog Win?
The maths behind memorable sporting moments
14 Why Do Karaoke Singers Sound So Bad?
How waves and fractions make good and bad harmony
15 How Can I Be Sure?
The art of proving things
16 Can I Trust What I Read in the Papers?
How spin doctors conjure with figures
References and Further Reading
Index