In Search of Infinity

by Naum Yakovlevich Vilenkin

1. Infinity and the universe.- 2. The mysteries of infinite sets.- 3. Remarkable functions and curves, or a stroll through a mathematical hall of wonders.- 4. In search of the absolute.- Conclusion.- Notees.

Genres: Mathematics, Philosophy

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Naum Yakovlevich Vilenkin (Russian: Наум Яковлевич Виленкин, October 30, 1920 in Moscow – October 19, 1991 in Moscow) was a Soviet mathematician, an expert in representation theory, the theory of special functions, functional analysis, and combinatorics. He is best known as the author of many books in recreational mathematics aimed at middle and high school students.

Reviews

[Caitee Nigro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello. My name is Caitee, and I am a mathaholic. Some may even go as far as labeling me a calculations-connoisseur. But despite my passion for problem-solving, I can always appreciate a down to earth math lesson in simple English. Vilenkin masters just that in "In Search of Infinity." The book explores theories ranging from the thought-provoking paradoxes of Zeno, to the provocative philosophies of Aristotle, without using a language which would surpass the mathematical vocabulary of a seventh-grader.
The book and the stories within it (that's right, math stories) are all engaging and easy to grasp, but do not limit your understanding of more complex ideas. This is the perfect read for those looking to try their hand at something new, or for someone who wanted to explore the world of digits, but never seemed to have any luck on the subject passed the fifth grade.
Personally, I enjoyed the book because it provided me with answers to the infamous question,"What the hell am I ever going to use this for in the real world?" Math is quite applicable, as this book proves (minus the truth-tables - double math pun there, for your literary taste-buds), and it just may surprise you where you can take it.

[Yuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book on infinity from a Russian perspective.

[Yofish · Rating 3 out of 5]

All about infinity. Very short. Interesting because it's very much written from the Russian perspective. (For example, most Russian mathematicians are listed as authors of 'outstanding works', while Gauss is merely 'the greatest German mathematician of the 19th century.' Well, yes, but....) Four chapters. The first is on philosophical stuff, and not so interesting. The second is on basic Cantor stuff. The third gets into space-filling curves (and similar); actually, I didn't know much about a lot of this stuff. And then the last was about Godel-type stuff. Good stuff all around, but didn't really grab me much.

Really 3.5

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably a better book than I am giving it credit for; it was worth going through, but did not really tell me anything new. Probably because infinity is something I do not understand very well. Later, I may go through this book again.