The King of Infinite Space: Euclid and His Elements

The King of Infinite Space: Euclid and His Elements

by David Berlinski
The King of Infinite Space: Euclid and His Elements

The King of Infinite Space: Euclid and His Elements

by David Berlinski

Paperback(Reprint)

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Overview

Geometry defines the world around us, helping us make sense of everything from architecture to military science to fashion. And for over two thousand years, geometry has been equated with Euclid's Elements, arguably the most influential book in the history of mathematics In The King of Infinite Space, renowned mathematics writer David Berlinski provides a concise homage to this elusive mathematician and his staggering achievements. Berlinski shows that, for centuries, scientists and thinkers from Copernicus to Newton to Einstein have relied on Euclid's axiomatic system, a method of proof still taught in classrooms around the world. Euclid's use of elemental logic -- and the mathematical statements he and others built from it -- have dramatically expanded the frontiers of human knowledge.

The King of Infinite Space presents a rich, accessible treatment of Euclid and his beautifully simple geometric system, which continues to shape the way we see the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780465065714
Publisher: Basic Books
Publication date: 04/08/2014
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 192
Sales rank: 866,339
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

David Berlinski holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University and has taught mathematics and philosophy at universities in the United States and France. The bestselling author of A Tour of the Calculus and Newton's Gift, as well as many other books, he lives in Paris.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

I Signs of Men 1

II An Abstraction from the Gabble 11

III Common Beliefs 19

IV Darker by Definition 33

V The Axioms 45

VI The Greater Euclid 57

VII Visible and Invisible Proof 77

VIII The Devil's Offer 91

IX The Euclidean Joint Stock Company 117

X Euclid the Great 147

Teacher's Note 155

A Note on Sources 157

Appendix: Euclid's Definitions 159

Index 163

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“In this brief, accessible foray, popular math/science writer Berlinski breathes life into an ancient mathematician and the world of axioms and theorems he created—a geometric world that became the basis for much of modern math, from analytic geometry to the idea of curved space-time…. Even the most math-averse [will] be enthralled by Berlinski’s rich, vibrant language…. Berlinski’s book succeeds not only as a history of geometry but also as an exploration of the power of ideas, masterfully replacing cold abstraction with humor and humanity.”

Booklist, Starred Review
“In writing at once geometrically precise and disarmingly conversational, Berlinski explores the imposing edifice that Euclid erected on a foundation of just five deceptively simple axioms…. An impressively concise distillation of the wizardry that transforms points, lines, and planes into sheer genius.”

Kirkus Reviews
“A playful yet deep excursus through Euclid’s Elements, from veteran mathematician Berlinski. It is a pleasure to follow the author as he grasps the logistical tail of Euclid’s mathematics and follows it to this day…. It is a profound investigation, as math was synthesized and refined and Euclid broke out with his axiomatic system… as a way of seeing, a way of life…. The author’s storytelling is clear, crisp and emotive, and he brings Euclid’s little-known life alive.”

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