Prime Obsession

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Prime Obsession  
Cover
Prime Obsession: Bernhard Riemann and the Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics by John Derbyshire
Author(s) John Derbyshire
Country  United States
Language English
Subject(s) Mathematics, History of science
Genre(s) Popular science
Publisher Joseph Henry Press
Publication date 2003
Pages 442 p.
ISBN 0309085497

Prime Obsession: Bernhard Riemann and the Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics (2003) is a historical book on mathematics by John Derbyshire, detailing the history of the Riemann hypothesis, named for Bernhard Riemann, and some of its applications. It is written for a popular audience,[1] so even though it includes college-level mathematics, rigorous proofs are not provided, and much is taken on faith. Much historical background is provided, starting from the work of Carl Friedrich Gauss and continuing well into the twentieth century.

The book is written such that even-numbered chapters present historical elements related to the development of the conjecture, and odd-numbered chapters deal with the mathematical and technical aspects.

The book was awarded the Mathematical Association of America's inaugural Euler Book Prize.[2]

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