In Search of Infinity

by Vilenkin, N. Ya.; Shenitzer, Abe; Grant, Hardy; Mykytiuk, Stefan

• ISBN13: 9780817638191
• ISBN10: 0817638199
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1995-08-01
• Publisher: Birkhauser

Summary

The concept of infinity has been for hundreds of years one of the most fascinating and elusive ideas to tantalize the minds of scholars and lay people alike. The theory of infinite sets lies at the heart of much of mathematics, yet is has produced a series of paradoxes that have led many scholars to doubt the soundness of it foundations. The author of this book presents a popular-level account of the roads followed by human thought in attempts to understand the idea of the infinite in mathematics and physics. In doing so, he brings to the general reader a deep insight into the nature of the problem and its importance to an understanding of our world.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Infinity and the universe	p. 1
The mysteries of infinite sets	p. 33
Remarkable functions and curves, or a stroll through a mathematical hall of wonders	p. 71
In search of the absolute	p. 117
Conclusion	p. 134
Notes	p. 137
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.