Infinity: A Very Short Introduction

Product Description

Infinity is an intriguing topic with connections to religion philosophy metaphysics logic & physics as well as mathematics Its history goes back to ancient times with especially important contributions from Euclid Aristotle Eudoxus & Archimedes The infinitely large (infinite) is intimately related to the infinitely small (infinitesimal) Cosmologists consider sweeping questions about whether space & time are infinite Philosophers & mathematicians ranging from Zeno to Russell have posed numerous paradoxes about infinity & infinitesimals Many vital areas of mathematics rest upon some version of infinity The most obvious & the first context in which major new techniques depended on formulating infinite processes is calculus But there are many others for example Fourier analysis & fractals In this Very Short Introduction Ian Stewart discusses infinity in mathematics while also drawing in the various other aspects of infinity & explaining some of the major problems & insights arising from this concept He argues that working with infinity is not just an abstract intellectual exercise but that it is instead a concept with important practical everyday applications & considers how mathematicians use infinity & infinitesimals to answer questions or supply techniques that do not appear to involve the infinite ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable