Yearning for the Impossible.Yearning For The Impossible John Stillwell A K Peters, Ltd. 888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482 156881254X $29.95 www.akpeters.com Mathematics professor John Stillwell (University of San Francisco • • [ ) presents Yearning For The Impossible: The Surprising Truth Of Mathematics, a fascinating tour through the history of mathematics and the resounding re·sound v. re·sound·ed, re·sound·ing, re·sounds v.intr. 1. To be filled with sound; reverberate: The schoolyard resounded with the laughter of children. 2. impact new conceptual discoveries have made upon human civilization. Mathematical achievements such as concepts of irrational numbers irrational number Among the real numbers, any of those that cannot be represented as quotients of integers. In decimal form, irrational numbers are represented by nonterminating, nonrepeating decimals. , imaginary numbers imaginary number: see number. imaginary number Any number of the form bi where b is a real number, i is the square root of −1, and b is not zero. See also complex number. , the infinitesimal in·fin·i·tes·i·mal adj. 1. Immeasurably or incalculably minute. 2. Mathematics Capable of having values approaching zero as a limit. n. 1. , the fourth dimension, periodic space, and more are explored in terms accessible to lay readers, and their intersection with art, literature, philosophy, and physics among other disciplines is laid bare. Yearning For The Impossible is as much of a celebration of the greater understanding mathematics has brought to the world as it is a history and discussion of innovative concepts, and is highly recommended for library and personal reading shelves. |
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