Bob Blitzer has inspired thousands of students with his engaging approach to mathematics, making this beloved series the #1 in the market. Blitzer draws on his unique background in mathematics and behavioral science to present the full scope of mathematics with vivid applications in real-life situations. Students stay engaged because Blitzer often uses pop-culture and up-to-date references to connect math to students' lives, showing that their world is profoundly mathematical.
"Our understanding of how the human brain performs mathematical calculations is far from complete. In The Number Sense, Stanislas Dehaene offers readers an enlightening exploration of the mathematical mind. Using research showing that human infants have a rudimentary number sense, Dehaene suggests that this sense is as basic as our perception of color, and that it is wired into the brain. But how then did we leap from this basic number ability to trigonometry, calculus, and beyond? Dehaene shows that it was the invention of symbolic systems of numerals that started us on the climb to higher mathematics. Tracing the history of numbers, we learn that in early times, people indicated numbers by pointing to part of their bodies, and how Roman numerals were replaced by modern numbers. On the way, we also discover many fascinating facts: for example, because Chinese names for numbers are short, Chinese people can remember up to nine or ten digits at a time, while English-speaking people can only remember seven. A fascinating look at the crossroads where numbers and neurons intersect, The Number Sense offers an intriguing tour of how the structure of the brain shapes our mathematical abilities, and how math can open up a window on the human mind"--Provided by publisher.
Computer Vision Metrics provides an extensive survey and analysis of over 100 current and historical feature description and machine vision methods, with a detailed taxonomy for local, regional and global features. This book provides necessary background to develop intuition about why interest point detectors and feature descriptors actually work, how they are designed, with observations about tuning the methods for achieving robustness and invariance targets for specific applications. The survey is broader than it is deep, with over 540 references provided to dig deeper. The taxonomy includes search methods, spectra components, descriptor representation, shape, distance functions, accuracy, efficiency, robustness and invariance attributes, and more. Rather than providing ‘how-to’ source code examples and shortcuts, this book provides a counterpoint discussion to the many fine opencv community source code resources available for hands-on practitioners.
A volume which embodies an entire generation of scholarship on the artist. Seurat's brief but brilliant career is traced from his early academic drawings of the 1870s to the paintings of popular entertainments and the serene landscapes of his final years.
Now more than ever before, Muslim young men and women need to improve not only their personal skills but also their group performance. This Guide presents easy-to-follow instructions which can be used by those who desire to acquire these skills. This Guide focuses on the training needs of Muslim young men and women by providing the experience acquired by Muslim leaders over the last several decades. Thus, the new generation of leaders will be able to start from where their leaders left off, rather than having to duplicate their predecessors’ successes and/or failures. Using a simple Do’s and Don’t’s format, this Guide enables the user to optimize his/her understanding of the art and science of da’wah and how it can be applied in today’s world. Like genius, leadership entails harder work for the one who was born without this skill. It is to such people that this Guide is addressed. We are confident that, with the help of Allah, the user will be able to make a quantum leap forward in the areas of growth and improvement through the proper use of the methods outlined in this Guide. Over time, there will be noticeable improvements in the areas of concepts, management, administration, and communication as well as the skills needed for conducting camps, conferences, and meetings. This Guide is supplemented by suggested workbooks which will lead to an even deeper understanding of the skills needed for successful leaders.
The sun, moon, stars, and planets have been a source of wonder for as long as humans have lived on earth. In this highly visual guide to observing the sky with the naked eye, kids aged 9–14 will delve into the science behind what they see. This captivating book offers a tour of our solar system and deep space, explaining how objects like Earth’s moon were formed and introducing the “why” behind phenomena such as eclipses, northern lights, and meteor showers. Sky gazers will learn how to find and observe planets — no binoculars or telescopes required — and star charts will show them how to spot constellations through the seasons and in both hemispheres. Activities include tracking the cycles of the sun and moon and observing the sky during daylight hours or on a cloudy night. Includes profiles of professional astronomers and sidebars on space technology and current issues, such as light pollution.
This charming exploration of the night sky -- featuring a star finder and glow-in-the-dark stickers -- which has more than a quarter of a million young astronomers enjoying the night sky in countries around the world, is now completely revised and updated. A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky is the perfect introduction to the always fascinating world of astronomy. Children ages eight and up will find out what astronomers have learned (and are still discovering), what astronauts and scientists explore, and what they can find by gazing up into the sky at night. Author Michael Driscoll explains how stars are born, the achievements of the great scientists, the history of space exploration, the story of our solar system, the myths behind the constellations, how to navigate the night sky, and more. Whimsical color illustrations throughout and handy definitions and sidebars help engage younger readers and develop their interest. Also included are a nifty star finder tool and fun glow-in-the-dark stickers.
This book explains in clear, non-mathematical language the measurements and the interpretation of the resulting data that have led to the current understanding of the origin, evolution and properties of our expanding Big Bang universe. Theoretical concepts are emphasized, but no other book for the layman explains how model universes are generated, and how they function as the templates against which ours is compared and analyzed. Background material is provided in the first four chapters; the current picture and how it was attained are discussed in the next four chapters; and some unsolved problems and conjectured solutions are explored in the final chapter.
