Infinity and the Mind
Rudy Rucker
Birkhauser (1982)
In Collection
#1147
0*
Infinite, Logic, Symbolic and mathematical, Set theory
Hardcover 3764330341
eng
In Infinity and the Mind, Rudy Rucker leads an excursion to that stretch of the universe he calls the "Mindscape," where he explores infinity in all its forms: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, theological and mundane. Rucker acquaints us with Gödel's rotating universe, in which it is theoretically possible to travel into the past, and explains an interpretation of quantum mechanics in which billions of parallel worlds are produced every microsecond. It is in the realm of infinity, he maintains, that mathematics, science, and logic merge with the fantastic. By closely examining the paradoxes that arise from this merging, we can learn a great deal about the human mind, its powers, and its limitations.

Using cartoons, puzzles, and quotations to enliven his text, Rucker guides us through such topics as the paradoxes of set theory, the possibilities of physical infinities, and the results of Gödel's incompleteness theorems. His personal encounters with Gödel the mathematician and philosopher provide a rare glimpse at genius and reveal what very few mathematicians have dared to admit: the transcendent implications of Platonic realism.

Product Details
LoC Classification QA9.R79 1982
Dewey 511.3
Cover Price $26.95
No. of Pages 342
Height x Width 9.4  inch
Personal Details
Read It Yes
Location B1
Links Amazon US
Notes
Includes index.