Chapter 4: Consistency, Completeness, and Geometery

[Erik]

This chapter opens with some good insight to the previous dialog ("Contracrostipunctus"). I didn't catch the foreshadowing

phonograph concepts until reading this chapter. I think there's still more to be gained by watching the MIT videos than this

chapter lays out. The additional information is on the "Easter Egg" level of meaning, so certainly not necessary but definitely

fun.

Some discussion of Bach's work again. I listed to Bach for a few hours recently. I didn't enjoy it as much as other classical

music, but I certainly could pick out the themes presented this in this book. They were very obvious at a high level. Although,

I'm sure there's plenty of depth I didn't catch.

The "Layers of Stability in Visual Perception" section was great at helping me understand how to think critically about Escher's

art. I had been confused regarding how that art piece fit until this section.

Then the book covers Euclid's geometry postulates and theorems along with discussing consistency. The consistency discussion

seems to result in a "rock, paper, scissors" scenario with Zeno, Egbert, and the Tortoise. Consistency in the pq system is

discussed briefly. The completeness and consistency get covered heavily near the end of this chapter. There's mention of

Einstein's theory of General Relativity as a way to know "Which geometery is true". The book indicates this will be discussed

more in later chapters. I would guess the "How an interpretation may make or break completeness" section is related to the

mention of General Relativity too.

[[deleted user]]

My intro to Bach recommendation is to listen to some recordings by Glenn Gould. Although unconventional, they are genius interpretations. Here are my top two favorites:

The Goldberg Variations (spookily, one recording was one of his first, and another was his last. I prefer the last.)

The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I and II

There is a correlation between people who like math/computer science and people who like Bach's music.