Infinitesimal

Brossura, 368 pagine

Pubblicato il 12 Maggio 2015 da Scientific American, FSG Adult.

ISBN:: 978-0-374-53499-8

(1 recensione)

Explores "the epic battle over a mathematical concept that shook the old order and shaped the world as we know it. On August 10, 1632, five leaders of the Society of Jesus convened in a somber Roman palazzo to pass judgment on a simple idea: that a continuous line is composed of distinct and limitlessly tiny parts. The doctrine would become the foundation of calculus, but on that fateful day the judges ruled that it was forbidden. With the stroke of a pen they set off a war for the soul of the modern world"--

8 edizioni

phonner ha recensito Infinitesimal di Amir Alexander

Review of "Infinitesimal" by Amir Alexander

5 stelle

“Infinitesimal” is the story of the heretical idea that a line segment could be divided into infinitely many parts. Literally heretical, as the Catholic church repeatedly decreed that infinite divisibility went against the natural order, and that accepting, promoting, and teaching it was heresy. The concept of indivisibilty is like a character in Amir Alexander’s story, and we follow its path through ancient times, Reformation, Counter-Reformation, and beyond. It’s a compelling and exciting book about math, science, and history, and the way divisibility influences, and is influenced by, the world around it is a reminder that math and science, as human endeavors, are always deeply intertwined in issues of human culture.