Imaginary Numbers: An Anthology of Marvelous Mathematical Stories, Diversions, Poems and Musings - Tapa dura

Acerca del autor

William Frucht is a senior editor at Basic Books and the coauthor, with Larry Siever, of The New View of Self.

De la contraportada

"William Frucht?s wide-ranging compilation of mathematically flavored fiction and poetry is humorous, thought-provoking, and profoundly entertaining." ?John Allen Paulos author of Once Upon a Number Features, Works By? Italo Calvin ? Lewis Carroll ? Jorge Luis Borges Connie Willis ? William Gibson ? J. G. Ballard Stanislaw Lem ? Douglas Hofstadter ? Martin Gardner This delightful anthology explores the many ways in which creative writers have worked with mathematical themes?from the marvels of infinity and the peculiarities of space-time to artificial intelligence, black holes, and quantum weirdness. Whether ruminating on the mathematical beauty of music, amusing us with logical absurdities, or conjuring up worlds of elusive, sometimes beautiful or terrifying dimensions, these writers impart a wondrous appreciation of the power, elegance, and ingenuity of mathematical thought.

De la solapa interior

Imaginary Numbers

• Jorge Luis Borges and the mystery of the infinite Library of Babel
• Alan Lightman and Einstein?s dreams about entropy
• Rudy Rucker and a machine that plays the music of mathematics
• Martin Gardner and a visit to the Church of the Fourth Dimension

Enter the wildly inventive world of Imaginary Numbers, in which a marvelous roster of acclaimed writers conjure up magical happenings, fantastic visions, and brainteasing puzzles, all based in some way on mathematical ideas. This delightful anthology offers a connoisseur?s selection of a special brand of creative writing in which the authors play with a vast array of mathematical notions?from the marvels of infinity to the peculiarities of space-time to quantum weirdness, the relativity of time, and the curious attraction of black holes. Enjoy Edwin Abbott Abbott?s wonderfully satirical commentary on the hard life of irregular figures, excerpted from his classic Flatland. Ponder Douglas Hofstadter?s story of the incredible mathematical re-creation of Johann Sebastian Bach playing his famous composition "The Well-Tempered Clavier" and contemplate the art of writing a beautiful fugue. Puzzle over Lewis Carroll?s problem of the flower garden that looks like a serpent with corners. Savor Philip Dick?s poignant tale of the golden man who can run at the speed of light and predict the trajectories of randomly fired bullets. Tease out the implications of Andrew Marvell?s brilliant analogy between love and parallel lines. Become absorbed in william Gibson?s dystopian matrix world that looks like "a 3-D chessboard, infinite and perfectly transparent." As editor William Frucht writes, "Using mathematics to tell stories and using stories to explain mathematics are two sides of the same coin." The work of the creative writers collected here has blazed the trail for a new kind of writing, traveling beyond the dimensions of traditional narrative to create and explore visions of life and its possibilities that capture the beauty and intellectual thrill of seeing our world through mathematical eyes.