Poetry Of The Universe: Mathematical Exploration of the Cosmos (Paperback)

by Robert Osserman (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Product details

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Phoenix; New edition edition (2 Dec 1996)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1857998170
ISBN-13: 978-1857998177

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,297,839 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Poetry Of The Universe sets out to provide a map of the cosmos, as it is now being revealed by the latest theories of quantum physics. But just as it is not possible to make a true representation of the spherical Earth on a two-dimensional piece of paper, so also the true nature of the curvature of space-time cannot be shown on any kind of map or diagram. Professor Osserman approaches the subject historically, recounting the discoveries of the giants of mathematics and astronomy such as Newton, Gauss and Riemann. He carries the reader through to the most recent developments in physics and astronomy, revealing the continuous interplay between mathematical theory and scientific observation.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars easy and interesting to read, 12 Dec 2000

By	jimka@rdrop.com (Munich Germany) - See all my reviews

This book describes the modern problem of drawing a map of the cosmos by drawing many analogies to the age old problem of drawing a map of the earth. Osserman's analogy makes a lot easy that would otherwise be difficult to conceptualize. Osserman gives a thought provoking account of the mathematical developments which have historically provided a foundation of cartography: showing what is possible, what is impossible, and giving an explanation for what had been found practical and aesthetic for years before the mathematics was available to explain it. E.g., you cannot draw a flat paper map of a spherical earth without loosing information. However, as a mathematician myself, I sometimes wished for a bit more detail.

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