Comments:
"Treasures Inside the Bell is
in many ways a unique book. It is rooted in
mathematics but does not speak only to mathematicians.
It deals with esoteric limit theorems and
fractal/multifractal constructions, but can
be enjoyed by readers with minimal technical
background. The book takes the reader through
a journey where simple mathematical rules
are the doorway to an incredibly varied and
aesthetically fascinating world of geometrical
patterns, and eventually to the Gaussian distribution
(the bell). The journey can be followed through
mathematical reasoning, but mathematics is
intertwined with aesthetics, philosophy and
religion. The quest for a link among geometry,
the physical world and deep spiritual principles
is at the core of the book. Some readers will
find Puente's analogies compelling. Those
who do not will be left wondering how disorder
can lead to order, chaos to universality,
conflict to love and what relates these concepts
in mathematics, physics and human life."
Dr. Daniele Veneziano
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"Patterns abound in our lives, although
generally we are not conscious of their
presence or their impact. The normal, or
Gaussian, distribution is a common pattern
familiar not only to statistitians, but
to other social and natural scientists as
well. It is often so ingrained in us that
we tend to take its beauty and grace for
granted."
"Treasures Inside the Bell
depicts another form of beauty found in
the bell curve using fractals through iteration
and interpolating wires. The book’s
introduction describes the process at a
simple level, with technical details appearing
in the third and final chapter. The middle
chapter is an aesthetically pleasing “gallery
of designs” generated by varying the
interpolating points, the parameters, and
the resolution. The gallery is subdivided
into radial, rotational, and evolutional
patterns. Although the rendition of patterns
in the book is static, the accompanying
CD alllows the reader to view them dynamically.
Through these striking and brilliant designs,
the reader may appreciate and marvel at
another magnificent facet of the normal
distribution."
Dr. Carolyn Pillers Dobler and Dr. Russell V. Lenth
Gustavus Adolphus College and University of Iowa
The American Statistician, Volume 50, No.1.
"Carlos Puente has a gift for drawing
connections and finding patterns. Explore
with him as your guide the riches hidden
inside the bell curve. You will not be disappointed."
Dr. William A Dembski
Research Professor in Philosophy
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
"The paradox is now
well established that chaos can often contain
(hidden) order and structure. The problem
is how to 'see' the structure. In this intriguing
and original book, the author finds and
describes remarkable symmetric patterns
and resonances concealed within one of the
signatures of randomness — the bell
curve or normal distribution — and
along the way makes contact with both natural
forms and fundamental constants of mathematics.
A sample program is provided for readers
to conduct their own explorations of as
yet undiscovered 'treasures of the bell'."
Dr. Michael Field
Professor of Mathematics, co-author
of Symmetry in Chaos
University of Houston
"This beautifully illustrated book
deals with iterated function systems (IFS),
especially those which generate curves representing
continuous functions."
Mathematical Reviews
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