Mapmatics

How does a delivery driver distribute hundreds of packages in a single working day? Why does remote Alaska have such a large airport? Where should we look for elusive serial killers? The answers lie in the crucial connection between maps and maths. In Mapmatics, Dr Paulina Rowinska embarks on a fascinating journey to discover the mathematical foundations of cartography and cartographical influences on mathematics. From a sixteenth-century map that remains an indispensable navigation tool despite emphasizing the North-South divide, and maps of voting districts that can empower or silence whole communities, to public transport maps that both guide and mislead passengers, she reveals how maps and maths shape not only our sense of space and time but also our worldview. Through entertaining stories, surprising real-world examples and a cast of unforgettable characters, Mapmatics helps us to appreciate the mathematical methods and ideas behind maps. And, by illuminating how our world works, leaves us better equipped to understand and look after it.

Dr Paulina Rowinska has a PhD in Mathematics of Planet Earth from Imperial College London. Her 2017 TEDx talk 'Let's Have a Maths Party!' explained that maths is all around us. Thanks to her science communication activities, in 2019 she received the Imperial College President's Award for Excellence in Societal Engagement. Today, she creates interactive content for a leading innovative educational website brilliant.org. Mapmatics is her first book.