The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering
Mastering Complexity
by Sanjoy Mahajan
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To master complexity, we can organize it or discard it. The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering first teaches the tools for organizing complexity, then distinguishes the two paths for discarding complexity: with and without loss of information. Questions and problems throughout the text help readers master and apply these groups of tools. Armed with this three-part toolchest, and without complicated mathematics, readers can estimate the flight range of birds and planes and the strength of chemical bonds, understand the physics of pianos and xylophones, and explain why skies are blue and sunsets are red. 
Book Description
This book shows us that the way to master complexity is through insight rather than precision. Precision can overwhelm us with information, whereas insight connects seemingly disparate pieces of information into a simple picture. Unlike computers, humans depend on insight. Based on the author's fifteen years of teaching at MIT, Cambridge University, and Olin College, The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering shows us how to build insight and find understanding, giving readers tools to help them solve any problem in science and engineering.To master complexity, we can organize it or discard it. The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering first teaches the tools for organizing complexity, then distinguishes the two paths for discarding complexity: with and without loss of information. Questions and problems throughout the text help readers master and apply these groups of tools. Armed with this three-part toolchest, and without complicated mathematics, readers can estimate the flight range of birds and planes and the strength of chemical bonds, understand the physics of pianos and xylophones, and explain why skies are blue and sunsets are red.
This open book is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA). You can download The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering ebook for free in PDF format (6.4 MB).
Table of Contents
Part I
Organizing Complexity
Chapter 1
Divide and conquer
Chapter 2
Abstraction
Part II
Discarding Complexity Without Losing Information
Chapter 3
Symmetry and Conservation
Chapter 4
Proportional Reasoning
Chapter 5
Dimensions
Part III
Discarding Complexity with Loss of Information
Chapter 6
Lumping
Chapter 7
Probabilistic Reasoning
Chapter 8
Easy Cases
Chapter 9
Spring Models
Book Details
Title
The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering
Publisher
MIT Press
Published
2014
Pages
409
Edition
1
Language
English
ISBN13 Digital
9780262526548
ISBN10 Digital
0262526549
PDF Size
6.4 MB
License
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