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Infinity is a profoundly counter-intuitive and brain-twisting subject that has inspired some great thinkers - and provoked and shocked others. The ancient Greeks were so horrified by the implications of an endless number that they drowned the man who gave away the secret. And a German mathematician was driven mad by the repercussions of his discovery of transfinite numbers. Brian Clegg and Oliver Pugh's brilliant graphic tour of infinity features a cast of characters ranging from Archimedes and Pythagoras to al-Khwarizmi, Fibonacci, Galileo, Newton, Leibniz, Cantor, Venn, Gรถdel and Mandelbrot, and shows how infinity has challenged the finest minds of science and mathematics. Prepare to enter a world of paradox. Review: With apologies to Borges, The Aleph explained - I enjoyed this book and found it to be an excellent companion to volumes in the same series on Fractals, Chaos, and Quantum Physics. It introduced different ways that infinity can be considered; for example, consider logical ways of finding accommodations at the fully-booked Hilbert's Grand Hotel or explaining the finite volume of Gabriel's Horn despite its infinite volume. Despite occasional brain cramping, I recommend this book. Review: A nice way into the Subject of Infinity after Cantor - A fine first book on the basic ideas of transfinite numbers and Cantor's amazing discoveries.
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,467,064 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #15 in Mathematical Infinity #143 in Mathematical Logic #640 in Mathematical Physics (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.1 out of 5 stars 120 Reviews |
A**B
With apologies to Borges, The Aleph explained
I enjoyed this book and found it to be an excellent companion to volumes in the same series on Fractals, Chaos, and Quantum Physics. It introduced different ways that infinity can be considered; for example, consider logical ways of finding accommodations at the fully-booked Hilbert's Grand Hotel or explaining the finite volume of Gabriel's Horn despite its infinite volume. Despite occasional brain cramping, I recommend this book.
W**D
A nice way into the Subject of Infinity after Cantor
A fine first book on the basic ideas of transfinite numbers and Cantor's amazing discoveries.
E**H
A Great Birthday Present
I bought the book for my grandson's birthday. He loves math and brain-teasers. The book was perfect for him.
S**N
A neat visual introduction
It's a good overview of the relevant subtopics. Unfortunately, some of the explanations were oversimplified to the point that a reader with no other experience would be left with an inaccurate understanding of the issue discussed. For example, describing classical Greek mathematics as "right-brained" perpetuates multiple popular misconceptions at once. This is the second graphic guide I have read. I will probably continue with more books in the series. They are entertaining and include content that I haven't seen in other introductory materials. Following up with the books in the further reading lists would be a good next step for readers of this series.
N**H
Four Stars
A bit too brief in concept and explanation; fewer clever graphics would have helped.
O**O
You wont be disappointed
Awesome book. Great series. Good stuff. You wont be disappointed. I learned a lot. Check this book iut if you know whats good for you.
W**R
Short but thorough history
This is a short but packed history of infinity and mathematics in general, as well as touching on topic such as quantum physics and the universe.
A**L
boring
i just found this book a little boring and not my style. it my be great for someone else though.
B**Y
Five Stars
A good read - well written.
R**N
Good book to read !!!
This book briefly explains how the concept of infinity evolved over a period of time and beautifully explains the various aspects of infinity, such as, infinite numbers, endless strip, nested subsets, large & small infinity etc. This is a good book for those who want to understand the concepts involved in infinity. And, it does not need much mathematical background or knowledge to read and understand the concepts from this book.
N**O
Four Stars
Interesting infinity......
R**.
Neverending Story
Plenty of examples of sets that are of an infinite range and discussion of the problems that Infinity causes in Maths and Physics but no real grappling with the concept of Infinity--like,what is it dude,heavy! Well don't want to go on forever and ever so will cut it short but if I was going to go on forever and ever that would be infinite and if I cut it short then that is still infinity so I am going on and on. Whooaa man!
H**R
Much Ado About Nothing
Hmm . . . this new "graphic guide" series looked very lucrative, so I thought I'd catch up on my favorite topic: pure mathematics. What first shocked me as I flipped through the pages was the sheer lack of content. In the 100 or so pages, we have about 50 words per page, with large and funny illustrations accompanying. The writing is crisp and funny, with the chapters covering the idea of infinity as it developed from early Greeks to the most modern mathematicians. The only problem is that this book is neither for the layman nor for the mathematically trained. If you are looking for an equation-free treatment, you'll find it here, but the amount of ground covered will leave you feeling as dumb as before. On the other hand, since there are no exercises and proofs, the mathematically inclined is left fuming and wringing hands over the time wasted. This means I'm going to avoid the other books in the "graphic guide" series also. If you are interested in a subject, pick a good textbook and work through it. Armchair reading never brought any real knowledge, and this books proves it spectacularly.
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