I know it was published abroad and translated into English. It appeared in paperback and had cartoon-like illustrations.
2006-07-20 12:20:03 · 2 answers · asked by ellco123 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Hans Magnus Enzensberger, "Der Zahlenteufel".
(German title, means "the Number Devil".)
Delightful book for children who like numbers. The English translation (paperback) is
"The Number Devil : A Mathematical Adventure", ISBN 0805062998.
Also available in Spanish as "El Diablo de Los Numeros"; Dutch as "De Telduivel".
2006-07-21 17:52:52 · answer #1 · answered by dutch_prof 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is probably about "Maxwell's Demon" - a hypothetical demon created by James C. Maxwell, meant to raise questions about the possibility of violating second law of thermodynamics.
Maxwell imagines two containers, A and B, filled with the same gas at equal temperatures, placed next to each other. A little "demon" guards a door between the two containers. When a faster-than-average molecule from A flies towards the door, the demon opens it, and the molecule enters B. The averaged speed of the molecules in B will have increased, and A decreased. Since speed corresponds to temperature, the temperature in A will have risen, contrary to the second law of thermodynamics.
Maxwell's Demon has appeared numerous times in pop culture, and not always in scientific context.
2006-07-20 23:35:19 · answer #2 · answered by mhongreen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋