Walter Warwick Sawyer (1911-2008)

Walter Warwick Sawyer (1911-2008): Born in 1911, W.W. Sawyer graduated from Cambridge University with specialization in the applied mathematics of quantum mechanics and relativity. Immediately thereafter, he began his long career dedicated to learning and teaching math. His first book "Mathematician´s Delight" (1943) (MD), was written with the aim "to dispel the fear of mathematics." It is probably the most successful math book ever written, going through numerous editions, translations into 10 languages, and selling more than 500,000 copies.
read more >>>

News

W.W. Sawyer - The Universal Math Teacher (pdf)

-An article written by Vivek Monteiro for the March 2019 issue of "At Right Angles" - a math teaching magazine from Azim Premji Foundation

W. W. Sawyer Scholarship

W. W. Sawyer Scholarship is awarded at the University of Toronto every year to an outstanding undergraduate student on admission or at the in-course level who demonstrates exceptional achievement in mathematics.

Recipients so far
Mr. Andrey Khesin	2017-18
Mr. Roy Magan	2016-17
Mr. Minqi Wang	2015-16
Mr. Jonathan Love	2013-14 & 2014-15
Mr. Tony Jin	2012-2013
Mr. Jason Woodfine	2011-2012

 

Publications

	Mathematician's Delight In this book Sawyer criticizes the teaching of math without context. The best way to learn geometry is to follow the road which the human race originally followed: Do things, make things, notice things, arrange things, and only then reason about things.
	Prelude to Mathematics This is a book about how to grow mathematicians. Probably you have no intention of trying to grow mathematicians. Even so, I hope you may find some thing of interest here.
	A Concrete Approach to Abstract Algebra
	Introducing Mathematics 3: The Search for Pattern

Click for more...

W. W. Sawyer Memorial, Pune

After Sawyer´death in February 2008, a collection of his books in various translations, his handwritten notes, and photographs were kindly donated to Navnirmiti, an organization working for math universalization, by his daughter and son-in-law Anne and Pedro Leon. Navnirmiti is setting up a Sawyer Memorial in Pune which will archive these materials and also translate his books into Indian languages. Translation into Marathi and Hindi has commenced. Those interested in the work of the Sawyer Memorial may contact Mr. Vivek Monteiro at vivekmonteiro@yahoo.com.