9780691001722
Infinity And The Mind - Rudy Rucker
Princeton University Press (1995)
In Collection
#6092

Read It:
Yes
Infinite, Logic, Symbolic and mathematical, Logic, Symbolic and mathematical, Set theory, Set theory

In Infinity and the Mind, Rudy Rucker leads an excursion to that stretch of the universe he calls the "Mindscape," where he explores infinity in all its forms: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, theological and mundane. Here Rucker acquaints us with Gödel's rotating universe, in which it is theoretically possible to travel into the past, and explains an interpretation of quantum mechanics in which billions of parallel worlds are produced every microsecond. It is in the realm of infinity, he maintains, that mathematics, science, and logic merge with the fantastic. By closely examining the paradoxes that arise from this merging, we can learn a great deal about the human mind, its powers, and its limitations.Using cartoons, puzzles, and quotations to enliven his text, Rucker guides us through such topics as the paradoxes of set theory, the possibilities of physical infinities, and the results of Gödel's incompleteness theorems. His personal encounters with Gödel the mathematician and philosopher provide a rare glimpse at genius and reveal what very few mathematicians have dared to admit: the transcendent implications of Platonic realism.

Product Details
LoC Classification QA9 .R79 1995
Dewey 511.3
Format Paperback
Cover Price 22,95 €
No. of Pages 352
Height x Width 235 x 155 mm