Zero
The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
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4.3 • 46 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Popular math at its most entertaining and enlightening. "Zero is really something"-Washington Post
A New York Times Notable Book.
The Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshiped it, and the Church used it to fend off heretics. Now it threatens the foundations of modern physics. For centuries the power of zero savored of the demonic; once harnessed, it became the most important tool in mathematics. For zero, infinity's twin, is not like other numbers. It is both nothing and everything.
In Zero, Science Journalist Charles Seife follows this innocent-looking number from its birth as an Eastern philosophical concept to its struggle for acceptance in Europe, its rise and transcendence in the West, and its ever-present threat to modern physics. Here are the legendary thinkers—from Pythagoras to Newton to Heisenberg, from the Kabalists to today's astrophysicists—who have tried to understand it and whose clashes shook the foundations of philosophy, science, mathematics, and religion. Zero has pitted East against West and faith against reason, and its intransigence persists in the dark core of a black hole and the brilliant flash of the Big Bang. Today, zero lies at the heart of one of the biggest scientific controversies of all time: the quest for a theory of everything.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a lively and literate first book, science journalist Seife takes readers on a historical, mathematical and scientific journey from the infinitesimal to the infinite. With clever devices such as humorously titled and subtitled chapters numbered from zero to infinity, Seife keeps the tone as light as his subject matter is deep. By book's end, no reader will dispute Seife's claim that zero is among the most fertile--and therefore most dangerous--ideas that humanity has devised. Equally powerful and dangerous is its inseparable counterpart, infinity, for both it and zero invoke to many the divine power that created an infinite universe from the void. The power of zero lies in such a contradiction, and civilization has struggled with it, alternatively seeking to ban and to embrace zero and infinity. The clash has led to holy wars and persecutions, philosophical disputes and profound scientific discoveries. In addition to offering fascinating historical perspectives, Seife's prose provides readers who struggled through math and science courses a clear window for seeing both the powerful techniques of calculus and the conundrums of modern physics: general relativity, quantum mechanics and their marriage in string theory. In doing so, Seife, this entertaining and enlightening book reveals one of the roots of humanity's deepest uncertainties and greatest insights. BOMC selection.
Customer Reviews
Excellent book on mathematics!
I read this book when I was a sophomore in high school and absolutely fell in love with the magic of math because of it. Through out the book, starting with basic number theory and moving on through to the forefront of Math and Physics, this book details the history of 0 and highlights some of the curious qualities of legendary mathematicians.The easy and fluid style lends to the reader feeling entranced by these mysterious things we call numbers which go far beyond simple representations of quantities and value. A must have for anyone who wishes to know why mathematicians do math!
This is Pseudo
The concept of Zero never existed in european Lore/History before contact with Atlan which europeans people call the americas,,,
The concept of zero was Stolen from the Tenoch
You state specifically in your Bio it was created by europeans,,
Which is a blatant lie,,
before contact with the Tenoch And learning of “Tecpatl”,,, which means “Flint”,,, This was used to teach the first arriving europeans of the concept of zero,,,
Before this
Zero did not exist in any European counting system,,,,
because they could not comprehend Infinity,,,
They only had a religious based science Which involved Centrism & Superstitious belief of all of existences including what is nothing,,,
was perceived as a simulation
due to europeans
practicing insane habits,,,
This leading to the black plague
and all sorts of other Uninhabitable conditions of the mind,
Mental illness was rampant
& Intellect was Degenerated,
Which I will not get into due to its
Blatantly fowl & offensive nature,
This book is Pseudo history & purported to be Truth,
Zero was stolen.
Seife is awesome
Charles Seife is an excellent science writer, and Zero is an excellent example. Zero is comprehensible, and provides a history of mathematics that is concise and enjoyable. Also, that so many books are available for the Ipad is a welcome surprise.