The book Opgelost (Solved!) is nominated for the Eurekaprijs for the best popular science book 2008. Opgelost is written by scientific journalist Bennie Mols.
The publication was jointly financed by the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) and the NWO Spinoza premium, which was bestowed on Lex Schrijver (CWI) in 2005 for his work in combinatorics and algorithms. The NWO Spinoza premium is the Netherlands' most prestigious scientific award.
Opgelost takes a light-hearted look at the role that mathematics and computer science play in our daily lives, but also under more unusual circumstances, discussing applications in sports, games, politics, economics, industry, tracing techniques, music and visual arts. The book explains that no other science is as exact and universal as mathematics. As Lex Schrijver stated: "Mathematics is like oxygen. If it is there, you do not notice it. If it would not be there, you realize that you cannot do without."
Four other books are nominated. On 26 May 2008 during NWO's Bessensap, held at the science center NEMO in Amsterdam, the winner will be announced. The Eurekaprijs consists out of an amount of 7,500 euros and the Eureka statuette of sculptor Richard de Vrijer.
