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Zusatztext Very enjoyable reading.... Related in a cheerful conversational tone with frequent allusions to! and quotations from! many other fields of knowledge! including literature! history! and philosophy.... This volume should appeal to a broad spectrum of readers interested in learning more about the beauty of mathematics." Informationen zum Autor Robert Kaplan & Ellen Kaplan Klappentext The Art of the Infinite takes infinity, in its countless guises, as a touchstone for understanding mathematical thinking. Robert and Ellen Kaplan guide us through the "Republic of Numbers," where we meet both its upstanding citizens and its more shadowy dwellers; and transport us across the plane of geometry into the unlikely realm where parallel lines meet. The journey is enriched by deft character studies of great mathematicians (and equally colorful lesser ones). And as we go deeper into infinity, we explore the most profound mystery of mathematics: Are its principles eternal truths that we discover? Or ones that we invent? A witty, conversational, and accessible tour of math's profoundest mysteries. Zusammenfassung A witty! conversational! and accessible tour of math's profoundest mysteries. Mathematical symbols! for mathematicians! store worlds of meaning! leap continents and centuries. But we need not master symbols to grasp the magnificent abstractions they represent! and to which all art aspires. Through language! anyone can come to delight in the works of mathematical art! which are among our kind's greatest glories.Taking the concept of infinity! in its countless guises! as a starting point and a helpful touchstone! the founders of Harvard's pioneering Math Circle program Robert and Ellen Kaplan guide us through the "Republic of Numbers!" where we meet both its upstanding citizens and its more shadowy dwellers! explore realms where only the imagination can go! and grapple with math's most profound uncertainties! including the question of truth itself-do we discover mathematical principles! or invent them? ...
