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The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah and the Search for Infinity
 
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The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah and the Search for Infinity (Paperback)

by Amir D. Aczel (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Customers buy this book with Georg Cantor: His Mathematics and Philosophy of the Infinite by Joseph W. Dauben

The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah and the Search for Infinity + Georg Cantor: His Mathematics and Philosophy of the Infinite
Price For Both: £37.39

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Product details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket Books; New edition edition (18 Mar 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0743422996
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743422994
  • Product Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.4 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 330,043 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
The search for infinity, that sublime and barely comprehensible mystery, has exercised both mathematicians and theologians over many generations: Jewish mystics in particular laboured with elaborate numerological schema to imagine the pure nothingness of infinity, while scientists such as Galileo, the great astronomer, and Georg Cantor, the inventor of modern set theory (as well as a gifted Shakespeare scholar), brought their training to bear on the unimaginable infinitude of numbers and of space, seeking the key to the universe.

In this sometimes technical but always accessible narrative, Amir Aczel, the author of the spirited study Fermat's Last Theorem, contemplates such matters as the Greek philosopher Zeno's several paradoxes; the curious careers of defrocked priests, (literal) mad scientists, and sober scholars whose work helped untangle some of those paradoxes; and the conundrums that modern mathematics has substituted for the puzzles of yore. To negotiate some of those enigmas requires a belief not unlike faith, Aczel hints, noting, "We may find it hard to believe that an elegant and seemingly very simple system of numbers and operations such as addition and multiplication--elements so intuitive that children learn them in school--should be fraught with holes and logical hurdles." Hard to believe, indeed. Aczel's book makes for a fine and fun exercise in brain stretching while providing a learned survey of the regions at which science and religion meet. --Gregory McNamee --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"An engaging, pellucid explanation of the mathematical understanding of infinity, enlivened by a historical gloss on the age-old affinities between religious and secular conceptions of the infinite."

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah and the Search for Infinity
65% buy the item featured on this page:
The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah and the Search for Infinity 4.0 out of 5 stars (2)
£7.99
Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite (Princeton Science Library)
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Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite (Princeton Science Library) 5.0 out of 5 stars (6)
Brief History of Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable
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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Defies Intuition but it's well worth a try., 10 Jan 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Mystery of the Aleph: Mathematics, the Kabbalah, and the Human Mind (Hardcover)
Once again Amir Aczel has provided us with an enthusiastic and intriguing look at a fascinating subject.Trying to come to terms with the Infinite is a difficult task that, as explained in the book, has claimed many victims. Aczel does a wonderful job turning the reader into a victim, although thankfully not as critical as the likes of Cantor and Godel. Much like his previous books Aczel blends the science( in this case mind boggling mathematics)into a fascinating background, paying great attention to the lives and characters of those concerned. The biographies of Gallileo and Kurt Godel are particularly interesting, especially as one would think that there was little left to know about them. However the centre of attention is the life and work of Georg Cantor, the mathematician synonomous with discoveries concerning the infinite. It would be difficult to find a more interesting and bizarre story than that of Georg Cantor but the real source of intrigue are his ideas and those of others concerning the subject of infinity. Added to that is a touch of mystisism in the form of "Kabalah" making Infinity an even more awesome concept.

While the book is written in an entertaining and absorbing style with ideas explained simply and concisley, much contemplation is required by the reader. I personally would reccomend that one take the neccesary time in order to try come to terms with a concept that "defies intuition". Four stars then, and the only reason I didn't give it five is because I can still sleep at night...barely.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Contemplating the Infinite, 13 Mar 2004
By A Customer
One of only a handful of absorbing books that I have read in one sitting. It started extremely well so I was a little shaken when I read on page 24 how Archimedes compared the volumes of a sphere and a cone (it was a sphere and a cylinder I believe). However, rest assured, this was the only glitch I found in an excellent exposition of the Infinite from a set-theoretical approach.
As this book is not particularly mathematical, and is extremely well-written, it should appeal to those readers with a strong interest in mathematics, without the mathematical hardware behind them. Aczel's book makes a great accompaniment to Rudy Rucker's "Infinity and the Mind", which is much more mathematical, and covers many more aspects of Infinity. I give Aczel's book 4 stars, as Rucker's is out there on its own with 5 for this particular topic area.
To complete the trilogy I recommend Maor's "To Infinity and Beyond", which is also a very easy read without being too mathematical.
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