Mathematics
Subtitle: A Very Short Introduction
Series: Very Short Introductions
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: October 2002
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 143
ISBN-13: 9780192853615
Copyright date: 2002
Description: "Mathematics is a subject we are all exposed to in our daily lives, but one which many of us fear. In this introduction, Timothy Gowers elucidates the most fundamental differences, which are primarily philosophical, between advanced mathematics and what we learn at school, so that one emerges with a clearer understanding of such paradoxical-sounding concepts as 'infinity', 'curved space', and 'imaginary numbers'. From basic ideas, through to philosophical queries, to common sociological questions about the mathematical community, this book unravels some of the mysteries of space and numbers."--Jacket.
Table of contents: label: 1
title: Models
pagenum: 1; label: 2
title: Numbers and abstraction
pagenum: 17; label: 3
title: Proofs
pagenum: 35; label: 4
title: Limits and infinity
pagenum: 56; label: 5
title: Dimension
pagenum: 70; label: 6
title: Geometry
pagenum: 86; label: 7
title: Estimates and approimations
pagenum: 112; label: 8
title: Some frequently asked questions
pagenum: 126