Items related to The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics
Synopsis
Robert Kaplan's The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero was an international best-seller, translated into eight languages. The Times called it "elegant, discursive, and littered with quotes and allusions from Aquinas via Gershwin to Woolf" and The Philadelphia Inquirer praised it as "absolutely scintillating."
In this delightful new book, Robert Kaplan, writing together with his wife Ellen Kaplan, once again takes us on a witty, literate, and accessible tour of the world of mathematics. Where The Nothing That Is looked at math through the lens of zero, The Art of the Infinite takes infinity, in its countless guises, as a touchstone for understanding mathematical thinking. Tracing a path from Pythagoras, whose great Theorem led inexorably to a discovery that his followers tried in vain to keep secret (the existence of irrational numbers); through Descartes and Leibniz; to the brilliant, haunted Georg Cantor, who proved that infinity can come in different sizes, the Kaplans show how the attempt to grasp the ungraspable embodies the essence of mathematics. The Kaplans guide us through the "Republic of Numbers," where we meet both its upstanding citizens and more shadowy dwellers; and we travel across the plane of geometry into the unlikely realm where parallel lines meet. Along the way, deft character studies of great mathematicians (and equally colorful lesser ones) illustrate the opposed yet intertwined modes of mathematical thinking: the intutionist notion that we discover mathematical truth as it exists, and the formalist belief that math is true because we invent consistent rules for it.
"Less than All," wrote William Blake, "cannot satisfy Man." The Art of the Infinite shows us some of the ways that Man has grappled with All, and reveals mathematics as one of the most exhilarating expressions of the human imagination.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Robert and Ellen Kaplan are the founders of The Math Circle, a school, open to anyone of any age, that teaches the enjoyment of mathematics. They have been invited to lecture on mathematics teaching and the Math Circle to organizations such as the American Mathematical Society and universities in Spain and Switzerland. They live in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherOxford Univ Pr
- Publication date2003
- ISBN 10 019514743X
- ISBN 13 9780195147438
- BindingHardcover
- LanguageEnglish
- Edition number1
- Number of pages288
Buy New
View this item
£ 21.45
£ 22.29 shipping from U.S.A. to United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speedsOther Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics
Published by
Oxford University Press, 2003
ISBN 10: 019514743X
ISBN 13: 9780195147438
Used
Paperback
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR003069315
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780195147438
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780195147438
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics Kaplan, Robert and Kaplan, Ellen
Published by
Oxford University Press, 2003
ISBN 10: 019514743X
ISBN 13: 9780195147438
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Hay-on-Wye Booksellers, Hay-on-Wye, HEREF, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Minor marks to the jacket. The content is clean throughout. Seller Inventory # 75201-7
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics
Published by
Oxford University Press, 2003
ISBN 10: 019514743X
ISBN 13: 9780195147438
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Anybook.com, Lincoln, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has hardback covers. In good all round condition. Dust jacket in good condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,750grams, ISBN:9780195147438. Seller Inventory # 5835131
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite : The Pleasures of Mathematics
Published by
Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2003
ISBN 10: 019514743X
ISBN 13: 9780195147438
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP87305919
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite : The Pleasures of Mathematics
Published by
Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2003
ISBN 10: 019514743X
ISBN 13: 9780195147438
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 4103724-75
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite : The Pleasures of Mathematics
Published by
Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2003
ISBN 10: 019514743X
ISBN 13: 9780195147438
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP102039970
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite : The Pleasures of Mathematics
Published by
Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2003
ISBN 10: 019514743X
ISBN 13: 9780195147438
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 2234893-75
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics
Published by
Oxford University Press, USA, 2003
ISBN 10: 019514743X
ISBN 13: 9780195147438
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: As New. No Jacket. Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.5. Seller Inventory # G019514743XI2N00
Quantity: 1 available