A mind-bending excursion to the limits of science andmathematics Are some scientific problems insoluble? In Beyond Reason,internationally acclaimed math and science author A. K. Dewdneyanswers this question by examining eight insurmountablemathematical and scientific roadblocks that have stumped thinkersacross the centuries, from ancient mathematical conundrums such as"squaring the circle," first attempted by the Pythagoreans, toG?del's vexing theorem, from perpetual motion to the upredictablebehavior of chaotic systems such as the weather. A. K. Dewdney, PhD (Ontario, Canada), was the author of ScientificAmerican's "Computer Recreations" column for eight years. He haswritten several critically acclaimed popular math and sciencebooks, including A Mathematical Mystery Tour (0-471-40734-8); Yes,We Have No Neutrons (0-471-29586-8); and 200% of Nothing(0-471-14574-2).
Autorentext
A.K. DEWDNEY, PH.D., is the author of several critically acclaimed math and science books, including A Mathematical Mystery Tour; Yes, We have No Neutrons; and 200% of Nothing, all from Wiley. He was a member of the computer science department at the University of Western Ontario and at the University of Waterloo for a combined period of thirty years before retiring. In 1996, he became an adjunct professor of biology at UWO. For eight years, Dewdney was the Computer Recreations columnist for Scientific American magazine.
Klappentext
PRAISE FOR A.K. DEWDNEY'S PREVIOUS WORKS
200% of Nothing
"It is impossible to read this timely, important book without enjoyment and eye-opening enlightment." -Martin Gardner
"In today's world 'innumeracy' is an even greater danger than illiteracy, and is perhaps more common.... I hope that this wise and witty book will provide cures where they are possible, and warnings where they are necessary. It's also a lot of fun. I can guarantee that 100 percent." -Arthur C. Clarke
Yes, We Have No Neutrons
"We need more books like this-especially if they're this much fun to read."-Wired
"Written with wit and a touch of pathos-and sure to please science lovers." -Publishers Weekly
The Planiverse
"It's not everyone who gets to design a universe from scratch but A.K. Dewdney has done just that."-The Boston Globe
"Once you have been captivated by the two-dimensional Ardean world, the problems facing its difficult technology haunt you, begging for more solutions. Arde easily becomes a puzzle without end." -The New York Times
A Mathematical Mystery Tour
"Dewdney spins an absorbing narrative...an amenable introduction to a difficult subject." -Publishers Weekly
Zusammenfassung
A mind-bending excursion to the limits of science and mathematics
Are some scientific problems insoluble? In Beyond Reason, internationally acclaimed math and science author A. K. Dewdney answers this question by examining eight insurmountable mathematical and scientific roadblocks that have stumped thinkers across the centuries, from ancient mathematical conundrums such as "squaring the circle," first attempted by the Pythagoreans, to G?del's vexing theorem, from perpetual motion to the upredictable behavior of chaotic systems such as the weather.
A. K. Dewdney, PhD (Ontario, Canada), was the author of Scientific American's "Computer Recreations" column for eight years. He has written several critically acclaimed popular math and science books, including A Mathematical Mystery Tour (0-471-40734-8); Yes, We Have No Neutrons (0-471-29586-8); and 200% of Nothing (0-471-14574-2).
Inhalt
Introduction: Where Reason Cannot Go.
Math in the Cosmos.
1. The Energy Drain: Impossible Machines.
2. The Cosmic Limit: Unreachable Speeds.
3. The Quantum Curtain: Unknowable Particles.
4. The Edge of Chaos: Unpredictable Systems.
Math in the Holos.
5. The Circular Crypt: Unconstructable Figures.
6. The Chains of Reason: Unprovable Theorems.
7. The Computer Treadmill: Impossible Programs.
8. The Big-O Bottleneck: Intractable Problems.
References.
Further Reading.
Index.