Infinite Powers (the Story Of Calculus - The Language Of The Universe)

By (author) Strogatz, Steven; By (author) Strogatz Steven
Short description/annotation
A magisterial history of calculus (and the people behind it) from one of the world''s foremost mathematicians.
Description

Shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2019

A magisterial history of calculus (and the people behind it) from one of the world''s foremost mathematicians.

This is the captivating story of mathematics'' greatest ever idea: calculus. Without it, there would be no computers, no microwave ovens, no GPS, and no space travel. But before it gave modern man almost infinite powers, calculus was behind centuries of controversy, competition, and even death.

Taking us on a thrilling journey through three millennia, professor Steven Strogatz charts the development of this seminal achievement from the days of Archimedes to today''s breakthroughs in chaos theory and artificial intelligence. Filled with idiosyncratic characters from Pythagoras to Fourier, Infinite Powers is a compelling human drama that reveals the legacy of calculus on nearly every aspect of modern civilisation, including science, politics, medicine, philosophy, and much besides.

Table of contents
1: Infinity 2: The Man Who Harnessed Infinity 3: Discovering the Laws of Motion 4: The Dawn of Differential Calculus 5: The Crossroads 6: The Vocabulary of Change 7: The Secret Fountain 8: Fictions of the Mind 9: The Logical Universe 10: Making Waves 11: The Future of Calculus
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Warning: this book is dangerous. It will make you love mathematics. Even more, there is a nonzero risk it will turn you into a mathematician.
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Fascinating reading.
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Eloquent, erudite and charming. A remarkable story. Strogatz is a world class mathematician and a world class science writer. With a light touch and razor-sharp clarity, he tells the remarkable story of a mathematical breakthrough that changed the world - and continues to do so.
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Glorious! A master class in accessible maths writing and a perfect read for anyone who feels like they never quite understood what all the fuss was about. It had me leaping for joy.
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Simple, lucid, amusing, informative, and a pleasure to read. If you want to know where calculus came from, how it works, what it''s good for, and where it''s going next, this is the book for you.
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A fine, thoughtful attempt to make the greatest stories relating to calculus accessible... After reading Infinite Powers, we should no longer fear calculus.
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The most fascinating book I have ever read. If you have even the slightest curiosity about maths and its role in this world, I implore you to read this amazing book.
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A wide-ranging, humane, thoroughly readable take on one of the greatest ideas our species has ever produced.
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Fascinating anecdotes abound in Infinite Powers... [Strogatz] has written a romp through the history of calculus.
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A tour de force. Elegant and ebullient. Strogatz speaks to everyone, reminding us why mathematics matters in a practical sense while all the time highlighting its beauty.
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A highly readable account of calculus and its modern applications - all done with the human touch.
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An incalculable pleasure. If calculus is the language of the universe, then Steven Strogatz is its Homer.
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In this engaging book, Steven Strogatz illuminates the importance of calculus and explains its mysteries as only he can.
Biographical note
Steven Strog