An Introduction to Modern Physics

Many fundamental aspects of physics have simple mathematical underpinnings that may be concealed by the complexity of the formalism–both the unfamiliar language and the sometimes daunting equations. The same is true of many abstract mathematical ideas, which often involve simple concepts that can, nevertheless, get obscured due to the setting in which they are presented. Deep ideas in physics and mathematics often share a common core, which is perhaps not surprising given the closeness of these two disciplines. More surprising is the fact that some of those same ideas can emerge in the course of solving mathematical puzzles.