Meta Math!: The Quest for Omega - Softcover

Chaitin, Gregory

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1400077974 ISBN 13: 9781400077977

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2006

Synopsis

Gregory Chaitin, one of the world's foremost mathematicians, leads us on a spellbinding journey, illuminating the process by which he arrived at his groundbreaking theory.

Chaitin's revolutionary discovery, the Omega number, is an exquisitely complex representation of unknowability in mathematics. His investigations shed light on what we can ultimately know about the universe and the very nature of life. In an infectious and enthusiastic narrative, Chaitin delineates the specific intellectual and intuitive steps he took toward the discovery. He takes us to the very frontiers of scientific thinking, and helps us to appreciate the art--and the sheer beauty--in the science of math.

About this title

Product Description:

Meta Math! Gregory Chaitin, one of the world's foremost mathematicians, leads us on a spellbinding journey, illuminating the process by which he arrived at his groundbreaking theory. Chaitin's revolutionary discovery, the Omega number, is an exquisitely complex representation of unknowability in mathematics. His investigations shed light on what we can ultimately know about the universe and the very nature o... Full description

Review:

"A startling vision of the future of mathematics. . . . The Chaitinesque intellectual future will be eternally youthful and anarchic."-American Scientist

"Math's dark secret is out. . . . Chaitin explains why omega, a number he discovered thirty years ago, has him convinced that math is based on randomness."
-Time Magazine

"Captivating. . . . With extraordinary skill and a gentle humor, Chaitin shares his profound insights."
-Paul Davies, author of How to Build a Time Machine

"A clearly written and witty look at a difficult subject. . . . Chaitin explains with infectious enthusiasm how mathematics doesn't equal certainty." -Science News

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1400077974
• ISBN 13: 9781400077977
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240