Love Triangle

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Why do mobile phones work when you're on a train? What happens when you pull a pop song apart into pure sine waves and play it back on a piano? And what did mathematicians have to do with the great pig stampede of 2012? The answer to each of these questions can be found in the triangle.

Humans have been using triangles for thousands of years to build structures, measure the earth, make music, paint vanishing points, pot snooker balls and much, much more. But trigonometry is not a thing of the past - triangles underpin all of modern data technology. When someone Snapchats a photo, the light travels into the camera as electromagnetic sine waves, Fourier analysis compresses the image and then trigonometry is used to send the data to someone else's phone; when you listen to a track on Spotify, triangles remove the sounds which a human ear can't perceive and reassemble the song so that it's small enough to stream. Triangles are the hidden pattern beneath the surface of the contemporary world.

Join Matt Parker, stand-up comedian and author of the first ever maths book to be a No. 1 bestseller, as he uncovers the secrets of trigonometry and shares extraordinary stories about the mathematicians, philosophers and engineers who dared to take triangles seriously.

© Matt Parker 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024

Critics Review

This book is an attempt to rescue trigonometry from the bounds of boredom... Parker, who was born in Australia, is maths royalty... Parker is funny, likeable and aware enough of his audience to carry them along. And those who persevere will end up smarter than they were when they started it. Youu2019ll use triangles to understand Einsteinu2019s relativity, and end up at the stark realisation that, at the quantum level, matter u2014 you, I, this book u2014 is all just a set of triangles
Sunday Times
Matt Parker is a real nerdu2019s nerd... but weu2019re in safe hands here as we range from those curvy walls of glass that architects seem to love, to why everyone sees a different rainbow. A funny and often surprising guide to the history of triangles u2014 and the applications (both practical and highly impractical) of trigonometry
Financial Times
I felt well looked-after, and handled with saint-like patience... Parker has a fine old time with his material, and only a curmudgeon could fail to be charmed by his willingness to call the elongated pentagonal gyrocupolarotunda a u201cdumb shapeu201d, or Heronu2019s 2,000-year-old formula for finding the area of a triangle u201cstupidu201d. Nor, in the latter case, is he wrong. Four stars
Telegraph
The maths he expounds so expertly and so clearly is always fascinating
Mail on Sunday
Very funny... When it clicks, it is glorious
New Scientist
Despite dealing with what might be familiar concepts, Love Triangle shows that geometry and trigonometry can pop up in exciting and unexpected places. From cosmology to skateboarding, Parker argues that triangles underpin both the epic and the everyday. The book, which is funny and accessible, would also be suitable for keen teenage readers
Physics World
Move over Euclid. Itu2019s Parker Time. Love Triangle is a blissful blend of pure science and pure merriment. Edifying, entertaining, excellent!
Alex James
Matt Parker is unique: he's made me laugh about math many times by showing just how weird it can get. He's also made me cry about math by showing how transcendently beautiful it is
Adam Savage
Fine. Triangles are now my favourite shape
Hannah Fry
The author has a gift for making somewhat tedious topics not only comprehensible and absorbing, but also great fun... Parkeru2019s tireless enthusiasm, light touch, and inviting manner make for a reading experience akin to a visit to Epcot Center, led by a guide in possession of childlike wonder in addition to adult acumen and humor. The author never gets mired in the weeds, even as he manages to cover a tremendous amount of detailed information, aided by illustrations that feature appealing captions running the gamut from simple to complex. A rare book about math sure to make you smile, despite your feelings about the subject. Once again, Parker measures up
Kirkus

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