Infinite Powers: The Story of Calculus - The Language of the Universe
Jun 2019 · Atlantic Books
4.4star
11 reviewsreport
Ebook
384
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
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.
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.
Ratings and reviews
4.4
11 reviews
Anwar Farid Shahudin
- Flag inappropriate
November 2, 2019
It makes me appreciate calculus more and wanted to practice even better
1 person found this review helpful
Graeme Benstead-Hume
- Flag inappropriate
January 27, 2020
Excellent history and introduction to calculus
Paris Mollo
- Flag inappropriate
November 18, 2019
Wonderful book!
About the author
Steven Strogatz is the professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University. A renowned teacher and one of the world's most highly cited mathematicians, he is the author of the bestselling The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Mathematics, from One to Infinity.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
