Bibliograph

Infinitesimal, how a dangerous mathematical theory shaped the modern world, Amir Alexander

Type

Label

Infinitesimal, how a dangerous mathematical theory shaped the modern world, Amir Alexander

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Infinitesimal

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

846545899

Responsibility statement

Amir Alexander

Sub title

how a dangerous mathematical theory shaped the modern world

Summary

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. This book tells the story of the struggle that pitted Europe's entrenched powers against voices for tolerance and change. 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?

Classification

Creator