A revealing and entertaining look at the world, as viewed through mathematical eyeglasses.

From the moment our feet touch the floor in the morning until our head hits the pillow, numbers are everywhere. And yet most of us go through each day unaware of the mathematics that shapes our lives.

In fact, many people go through life fearing and avoiding mathematics, making choices that keep it at arm’s length or further. Even basic math — like arithmetic — can seem baffling.

In Our Days Are Numbered, Jason Brown leads the reader through a typical day, on a fascinating journey. He shows us the world through a mathematician's eyes and reveals the huge role that mathematics plays in our lives. It lies hidden within the electronics we use, the banking we do, and even the leisure activities we enjoy. Whether we’re putting a down payment on a new car, reading the financial pages, or listening to our favourite songs, math is behind it all.

At once entertaining and informative, Our Days Are Numbered covers an array of mathematic concepts and explores the hidden links between mathematics and everyday life. Brown reveals that a basic understanding of math can make us more creative in the way we approach the world.

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"Professor Brown's mathematical meanderings provide more than just entertainment. . . . Brown takes the mystery out of calculating interest on your money, converting Fahrenheit to Celsius and interpreting daily values on food labels. You'll enjoy numerous other examples of the fascinating use of numbers ranging from risk analysis to how GPS works. You can count on it."
— Dr. Joe Schwarcz

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1 . Take A Number, Please!
2 . Conversion Classes For The Masses
3 . One Graph Is Worth A Thousand Words
4 . Just The Stats, Ma’am
5 . Sudoku, Anyone?
6 . Chance, Decisions, And The Fear Factor
7 . Redecorating And Geometry
8. A Long Tail, Or The One That Didn’t Get Away!
9 . Networks, Fame, And Coincidences
10. Internet Banking At Prime
11. Nature, Art, And Fractals
12. Sex, Math, And Rock’n’roll
13. To Count, Per Chance To Sleep. . .

Acknowledgements
Index

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Jason I. Brown is a professor of mathematics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Dalhousie University, and a former vice-president of the Canadian Mathematical Society. His mathematical research decoded the famous opening chord of The Beatles’s “A Hard Day’s Night,” and this discovery was featured in the news media throughout North America. He lives in Halifax.

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