Full name: To Infinity and Beyond: A Cultural History of the Infinite

Author: Eli Maor Year: 1986 Rank: Rating: Original Rating: Pop Rating: Genres/categories: Science, Mathematics, Non Fiction, History Purchase/reserch links: LibraryThing Goodreads Amazon ISBNs: 9780691025117 0691025118

Eli Maor examines the role of infinity in mathematics and geometry and its cultural impact on the arts and sciences. He evokes the profound intellectual impact the infinite has exercised on the human mind--from the horror infiniti of the Greeks to the works of M. C. Escher; from the ornamental designs of the Moslems, to the sage Giordano Bruno, whose belief in an infinite universe led to his death at the hands of the Inquisition. But above all, the book describes the mathematician's fascination with infinity--a fascination mingled with puzzlement. Maor explores the idea of infinity in mathematics and in art and argues that this is the point of contact between the two, best exemplified by the work of the Dutch artist M. C. Escher, six of whose works are shown here in beautiful color plates.--Los Angeles Times [Eli Maor's] enthusiasm for the topic carries the reader through a rich panorama.--Choice Fascinating and enjoyable.... places the ideas of infinity in a cultural context and shows how they have been espoused and molded by mathematics.--Science -- "Science" Similar books: The Math Book by Clifford A. Pickover God Created the Integers by Stephen Hawking Mathematical Mysteries by Calvin C. Clawson Mind Tools by Rudolf Rucker Poincare's Prize by George G. Szpiro Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers by Jan Gullberg Journey through Genius by William Dunham An Imaginary Tale by Paul J. Nahin The Joy of Pi by David Blatner e: The Story of a Number by Eli Maor Everything and More by David Foster Wallace The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved by Mario Livio Trigonometric Delights by Eli Maor The Poincare Conjecture by Donal O'Shea Archimedes' Revenge by Paul Hoffman The Math Gene by Keith Devlin The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean