A prize for the year’s best books in mathematics has been awarded by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) to Emeritus Professor Ian Stewart from the University of Warwick.

Professor Stewart received the MAA Euler Book Prize on 5 January at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Atlanta, Georgia - the world’s largest gathering of mathematicians.

He earned the honour - given to an author of an outstanding book about mathematics - for In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World.

In Pursuit of the Unknown is a journey through the equations that shaped history and gave us mathematics as we know it today. The book is a collection of individual essays, each dedicated to a different equation, like the wave equation and normal distribution, to draw the reader into broader mathematical fields.

Francis Su, President of the MAA, comments:

“The conversational style of Stewart’s writing makes complicated mathematical concepts accessible to a broad audience, all the while maintaining a high standard of technical expertise that we expect from the Euler Book Prize winner.

“This award honors Stewart for his positive impact on the public’s understanding of mathematics.”

Stewart is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick, and has published more than two dozen mathematical books, including Game, Set and Math, and How to Cut a Cake.

Notes to editors:

The Mathematical Association of America is the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts. We accelerate the understanding of our world through mathematics because mathematics drives society and shapes our lives.