![]() | The Calculus of Friendship: What a Teacher and a Student Learned about Life while Corresponding about Math Subjects: Strogatz Steven H. (Steven Hentry) -- Correspondence; Joffray Don 1929 -- Correspondence; Mathematicians -- Correspondence; Calculus; Differential equations; Chaotic behavior in systems; The Calculus of Friendship is the story of an extraordinary connection between a teacher and a student, as chronicled through more than thirty years of letters between them. What makes their relationship unique is that it is based almost entirely on a shared love of calculus. For them, calculus is more than a branch of mathematics; it is a game they love playing together, a constant when all else is in flux. The teacher goes from the prime of his career to retirement, competes in whitewater kayaking at the international level, and loses a son. The student matures from high school math whiz to Ivy League professor, suffers the sudden death of a parent, and blunders into a marriage destined to fail. Yet through it all they take refuge in the haven of calculus--until a day comes when calculus is no longer enough. Steven Strogatz is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University. His books include the best-selling Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order (Hyperion). He has written for the New York Times 's Opinionator blog. |
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