Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite - Hardcover

Rucker, Rudolf V. B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 071080461X ISBN 13: 9780710804617

Publisher: Branch Line, 1982

Synopsis

Here, Rudy Rucker ventures into the stretch of the universe he calls the 'Mindscape', where he explores infinity in all its forms. Within this realm, he maintains that mathematics, science, and logic merge with the fantastic, and in examining the results of this merging, a great deal is revealed about the human mind, its powers, and its limitations.

About this title

Review:

"Rudy Rucker's Infinity and the Mind is a terrific study with real mathematical depth."--New Yorker

"Rudy Rucker, set theorist and science-fiction author, has continued the tradition ... of making mathematics and computer science accessible to the intellectually minded layperson.... Infinity and the Mind is funny, provocative, entertaining, and profound."--Joseph Shipman, Journal of Symbolic Logic

"Attempts to put Gödel's theorems into sharper focus, or at least to explain them to the nonspecialist, abound. My personal favorite is Rudy Rucker's Infinity and the Mind, which I recommend without reservation."--Craig Smorynski, The American Mathematical Monthly

"[Rucker] leads his readers through these mental gymnastics in an easy, informal way."--San Francisco Chronicle

"A captivating excursion through the mathematical approaches to the notions of infinity and the implications of that mathematics for the vexing questions on the mind, existence, and consciousness."--Mathematics Teacher

"It is difficult to find any aspect of infinity that is not explored in this compelling book. . . . This memorable book is one to be kept on an accessible shelf after reading it: it will not leave the reader unaffected."--Journal for Research in Mathematics Education

From the Back Cover:

"Infinity and the Mind can be read and enjoyed by experts and nonexperts alike. Rudy Rucker is a talented logician who draws on his talents as a science-fiction writer and cartoonist to convey his ideas. This makes for not only a solid, accurate, and informative book but also a good read."--Thomas Tymoczko, Smith College

"Informal, amusing, witty, profound. . . . In an extraordinary burst of creative energy, Rudy Rucker has managed to bring together every aspect of mathematical infinity. . . . A dizzying glimpse into that boundless region of blinding light where the mysteries of transcendence shatter the clarity of logic, set theory, proof theory, and contemporary physics."--Martin Gardner

About this edition

• Publisher: Branch Line
• Publication date: 1982
• ISBN 10: 071080461X
• ISBN 13: 9780710804617
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 300