»Taschner is a gifted storyteller.« F. A. Z.
»It is this desire for knowledge, for puzzling and thinking, that makes mathematics so fascinating for Taschner.« Ute Brühl, Kurier
"The mathematician Rudolf Taschner proves once again that he possesses a great talent for telling stories about his field." Heinz Klaus Strick, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, September 21, 2019.
"When Rudolf Taschner writes, enthusiasm for mathematics is rekindled, and one is inspired to engage in further thought experiments. A book for people who already love numbers, but especially for non-mathematicians who are willing to explore new ways of thinking." Katharina Hirschmann, Wiener Zeitung, September 29, 2019.
"The book's five chapters can easily be approached independently. If you set about reading them all seriously, you'll have food for thought for months and might not even notice that there's still nothing new on the market." André Behr, Der Falter, October 11, 2019.
How can something be correct but at the same time untrue? Can an object with a limited volume have an infinitely large surface area? What does a card game reveal about the nature of time? And what do square numbers have to do with colours?
Rudolf Taschner takes us on a spectacular journey through the world of mathematics and philosophy, showing that answers to some of the biggest questions are hidden in numbers. We discover why Pythagoras already recognised the origins of the cosmos in numbers and why Nobel Prize winners still puzzle today over how maths is able to describe nature in such a miraculously accurate way.
The Colours of Square Numbers is a book full of amazing facts that invites even maths phobics to marvel at the beauty of numbers.