Once upon a time, there was a number - Mathematical logic in stories

Author: Paulos
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: This book is a renowned popular science work on mathematics that was a bestseller on Western bestseller lists and has had a significant impact. Unlike typical popular science books on mathematics, this one has a unique and effortless writing style. In the sense of Snow's "Two Cultures," it builds a bridge between scientific culture and literary culture. People often imagine numbers as abstract, definite, eternal, and dull, while good stories are lively, subtle, and memorable but not always rigorous. However, this book points out that stories and numbers are not as different as you might think, and they have surprising and engaging connections. In fact, many important concepts in the history of mathematics, such as logic and probability, have evolved from intuitive ideas in storytelling, and so have recent theories like catastrophe theory and complexity theory. To help readers understand these outstanding ideas, the author weaves throughout the book many layered, thought-provoking jokes, fables, religious anecdotes, and interesting dialogues.