Barbara Burke Hubbard.
The World According to Wavelets: the story of a mathematical technique in the making: 2nd edn.
A K Peters. 1998
Over the past few years, a new mathematical language has been developing,
its alphabet consisting of undulations called “wavelets”.
Today the “wavelet revolution” is enabling many mathematicians
to perform a surprising variety of practical projects,
from fingerprint encoding to recovering music from battered 19th century recordings.
Lovingly crafted by an award-winning popular science writer,
this second edition of a highly accessible, prizewinning book
(winner of the French Mathematical Society’s 1996 d’Alembert prize)
retains its original appeal for non-mathematicians
while incorporating expanded discussions of wavelet history,
applications, and technical advances.
In compelling prose Barbara Burke Hubbard begins her examination of wavelets
with the story of the development of Fourier analysis,
the essential underpinning for telephones, x-ray machines, and computers.
Without any dizzying technical or mathematical detail she describes
the more recent, meteoric rise of wavelet analysis and its many practical applications.
The second half of the book lucidly presents the mathematical formulas
and details of wavelet analysis for those seeking a deeper understanding.
In this second edition she includes a discussion of new medical and genetic applications
such as mammography, heart disease, and fingerprints; recent technical developments;
a more in-depth look at wavelet history and wavelet researchers;
and an updated bibliography and list of software and web sites.