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Synopsis
John D. Barrow's Pi in the Sky is a profound -- and profoundly different -- exploration of the world of where it comes from, what it is, and where it's going to take us if we follow it to the limit in our search for the ultimate meaning of the universe. Barrow begins by investigating whether math is a purely human invention inspired by our practical needs. Or is it something inherent in nature waiting to be discovered?In answering these questions, Barrow provides a bridge between the usually irreconcilable worlds of mathematics and theology. Along the way, he treats us to a history of counting all over the world, from Egyptian hieroglyphics to logical friction, from number mysticism to Marxist mathematics. And he introduces us to a host of peculiar individuals who have thought some of the deepest and strangest thoughts that human minds have ever thought, from Lao-Tse to Robert Pirsig, Charles Darwin, and Umberto Eco. Barrow thus provides the historical framework and the intellectual tools necessary to an understanding of some of today's weightiest mathematical concepts.
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About the Author
About the Author:
John D. Barrow is Professor in the Astronomy Centre of the University of Sussex. His is the author of several highly acclaimed volumes on the philosophy of science, including most recently Theories of Everything, which Publishers Weekly hailed as "a mind-boggling intellectual adventure."
From Publishers Weekly
British mathematician Barrow ( Theories of Everything ) here commands an elegant modern style in describing a more classical, structured grammar: that of numbers. This broad history of--and reflection upon--the role of mathematics in the human enterprise of figuring reality spans recorded civilization. Barrow examines hash marks made on bones that date from 9000 B.C., delves into numerology, observes mathematics in the depths of philosophy and the far reaches of cosmology, often utilizing playful headings to introduce substantive material (the section on early mathematics in the Near East is titled "The Counter Culture"). General readers who doubt that "numeracy" is as civilizing a pursuit as literacy will note how utterly human are some of the early-20th-century intuitionists' debates Barrow recounts in "Intuitionism: The Immaculate Construction." He does not justify the culture of mathematics as "fun" or as a separate, mystical realm but characterizes it as the modern manifestation of the oldest and most compelling human instinct.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Pi in the Sky
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Pi in the Sky
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Condition: Bueno. : Pi in the Sky de John D. Barrow es una exploración profunda y diferente del mundo de las matemáticas: de dónde viene, qué es y a dónde nos llevará si la seguimos hasta el límite en nuestra búsqueda del significado último del universo. Barrow comienza investigando si las matemáticas son una invención puramente humana inspirada en nuestras necesidades prácticas, o si es algo inherente a la naturaleza esperando ser descubierto. Al responder a estas preguntas, Barrow proporciona un puente entre los mundos usualmente irreconciliables de las matemáticas y la teología. A lo largo del camino, nos ofrece una historia del conteo en todo el mundo, desde los jeroglíficos egipcios hasta la fricción lógica, desde el misticismo numérico hasta las matemáticas marxistas. Y nos presenta a una serie de individuos peculiares que han pensado algunos de los pensamientos más profundos y extraños que las mentes humanas han pensado, desde Lao-Tse hasta Robert Pirsig, Charles Darwin y Umberto Eco. Barrow proporciona así el marco histórico y las herramientas intelectuales necesarias para una comprensión de algunos de los conceptos matemáticos más importantes de la actualidad. EAN: 9780140231090 Tipo: Libros Categoría: Ciencias Título: Pi in the Sky Autor: John D. Barrow Editorial: PENGUIN BOOKS LTD Idioma: en Páginas: 336 Formato: tapa blanda. Seller Inventory # Happ-2025-05-08-cd560b0a
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Pi in the Sky: Counting, Thinking And Being (Penguin Mathematics S.)
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Pi in the Sky: Counting, Thinking and Being (Penguin Mathematics S.)
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Condition: Good. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has soft covers. In good all round condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,300grams, ISBN:9780140231090. Seller Inventory # 8237398
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