How to Bake Pi
by Eugenia Cheng · first published 2015
64% recommend29% neutral7% critical
Why HN recommends it
A pop-math introduction using cooking analogies to convey abstract mathematical thinking, especially category theory. Suited to readers with little math background who want to see how mathematicians think.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
If mathematics is the queen of science, this book explains why category theory is the queen of mathematics.
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You may be interested in the book "How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics" by Eugenia Cheng. It's a book that relates concepts from cooking to Category theory.
on “Seven Sketches in Compositionality: An Invitation to Applied Category Theory” ↗If you genuinely don't know much maths, maybe Eugenia Cheng's "How to Bake Pi" also published as "Cakes, Custard and Category Theory" I enjoyed it, it's not a text, there are no exercises. Popular overview of the subject, including a first half that mentions category theory only…
on “Basic Category Theory” ↗…words for very abstract things can cut out a lot of detail and allow you to see relationships between elements that would otherwise be obscured by that very detail. For this I think Eugenia Cheng's book "How to bake Pi" is a good example. https://smile.amazon.com/How-Bake-Pi-Exploration-Mathematics...
on “Ask HN: How to apply Mathematics in life?” ↗…mind---and it's a proof that any middle-schooler has no difficulty completely understanding. As a reminder that mathematics isn't symbols and rules, but a way of looking at problems (Eugenia Cheng's book, How to Bake Pi, is an excellent look at this way of thinking and approaching the world.). (3) It managed not to get bogged down in the whole pointless and hypocritical "what is math good for" instrumentality debate,…
on “What Is Math?” ↗…topic (thanks to Arraycast and Conor Hoekstra) and bought to Mock a Mockingbird by Raymond Smullyan, however it is still a bit too involved for my small brain. On the other hand, I am very much enjoying How to Bake Pi by Eugenia Cheng, which is a few levels down in difficulty.
on “Category Theory: Lecture Notes and Online Books” ↗Introduction to Graph Theory - Richard J. Trudeau A History of Pi - Petr Beckmann Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics - William Dunham How to Bake Pi - Eugenia Chang These are all sort of 'pop-math' books -- that is, they're more intended to spark a joy & love for math than teach rigorous mathematics. Great Theorems and A History of Pi include a lot…
on “Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?” ↗I recommend "how to bake pi" by Eugenia Cheng for a high level introduction, followed by her in-depth (but still approachable) book "The Joy of Abstraction"
on “Why I am learning category theory” ↗there are a few books that make it accessible to non mathematicians. Both by Eugenia Cheng, "How to Bake Pi" and "The Joy of Abstraction"
on “Sheaf Theory Through Examples” ↗_How to Bake Pi_ by Eugenia Cheng
on “Ask HN: Are there books for mathematics like Feynman's lectures on physics?” ↗Eugenia Cheng has some interesting and accessible videos, e.g.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho7oagHeqNc and in a similar vein I am enjoying her book: "How to Bake Pi". Getting more into the technical side of things, Bartosz Milewski has good lessons in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8LbkfSSR58&list=PLbgaMIhjbm...
on “How to learn hard things in tech” ↗In the US, the book's title has been changed to How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics Perhaps the publisher thought that "category theory" might not work well for American audiences? http://smile.amazon.com/How-Bake-Pi-Exploration-Mathematics/...
on “Cakes, Custard and Category Theory: Easy Recipes for Understanding Complex Maths” ↗If not in any particular rush, you can get a UK copy of 'How to Bake Pi' at http://www.bookdepository.com/ (best price, free shipping, and they take paypal). Plus it turns out that Eugenia Cheng just released another book in UK on June 4 called 'Cakes, Custard and Category…
on “Cakes, Custard and Category Theory: Easy Recipes for Understanding Complex Maths” ↗Cakes, Custard and Category Theory/How to Bake Pi is very similar to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: it has not much of anything to do with the subjects mentioned in the title. You will find some recipes, sort of, and you'll find some category…
on “Cakes, Custard, Categories and Colbert” ↗Euginia Cheng, a category theorist, has written Cakes, Custard and Category Theory: Easy Recipes for Understanding Complex Maths, and How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics.
on “Category Theory, Syntactically (2016)” ↗How to bake pi and cakes, custard, and category theory are the same book.
on “Cakes, Custard and Category Theory: Easy Recipes for Understanding Complex Maths” ↗