The Importance of Being Fuzzy: And Other Insights from the Border Between Math and Computers

How has computer science changed mathematical thinking? In this first ever comprehensive survey of the subject for popular science readers, Arturo Sangalli explains how computers have brought a new practicality to mathematics and mathematical applications. By using fuzzy logic and related concepts, programmers have been able to sidestep the traditional and often cumbersome search for perfect mathematical solutions to embrace instead solutions that are "good enough." If mathematicians want their work to be relevant to the problems of the modern world, Sangalli shows, they must increasingly recognize "the importance of being fuzzy." Sangalli argues that even though "fuzziness" and related concepts are often compared to human thinking, they can be understood only through mathematics -- but the math he uses in the book is straightforward and easy to grasp. Of equal appeal to specialists and the general reader, "The Importance of Being Fuzzy" reveals how computer science is changing both the nature of mathematical practice and the shape of the world around us.