Infinitesimal : how a dangerous mathematical theory shaped the modern world
(Book)
Author
Published
New York : Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
Status
Columbia Pike - Adult Nonfiction
511 ALEXA
1 available
511 ALEXA
1 available
Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Columbia Pike - Adult Nonfiction | 511 ALEXA | Available |
Description
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More Details
Published
New York : Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
Format
Book
Physical Desc
352 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"The epic battle over a mathematical concept that shook the old order and shaped the world as we know it. On August 10, 1632, five leaders of the Society of Jesus convened in a somber Roman palazzo to pass judgment on a simple idea: that a continuous line is composed of distinct and limitlessly tiny parts. The doctrine would become the foundation of calculus, but on that fateful day the judges ruled that it was forbidden. With the stroke of a pen they set off a war for the soul of the modern world. Amir Alexander's Infinitesimal is the story of the struggle that pitted Europe's entrenched powers against voices for tolerance and change. It takes us from the bloody religious strife of the sixteenth century to the battlefields of the English civil war and the fierce confrontations between leading thinkers like Galileo and Hobbes. We see how a small mathematical disagreement became a contest over the nature of the heavens and the earth: Was the world entirely known and ruled by a divinely sanctioned rationality and hierarchy? Or was it a vast and mysterious place, ripe for exploration? The legitimacy of popes and kings, as well as our modern beliefs in human liberty and progressive science, hung in the balance; the answer hinged on the infinitesimal. Pulsing with drama and excitement, Infinitesimal will forever change the way you look at a simple line--and celebrates the spirit of discovery, innovation, and intellectual achievement"--,Provided by publisher.
Description
"The epic battle over a mathematical concept that shook the old order and shaped the world as we know it"--,Provided by publisher.
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Alexander, A. (2014). Infinitesimal: how a dangerous mathematical theory shaped the modern world (First edition.). Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Alexander, Amir. 2014. Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World. Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Alexander, Amir. Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Alexander, Amir. Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World First edition., Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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