Synopses & Reviews
From the mysterious cult of Pythagoras to the awesome mechanics of Stonehenge to the gargoyles” and fractals on todays computers, mathematics has always been a powerful, even divine force in the world. In a lively, intelligent synthesis of math, mysticism, and science fiction, Clifford Pickover explains the eternal magic of numbers. Taking a uniquely humorous approach, he appoints readers Chief Historian” of an intergalactic museum and sends them, along with a quirky cast of characters, hurtling through the ages to explore how individuals used numbers for such purposes as predicting the end of the world, finding love, and winning wars.
Review
Are there mathematical proofs of God? Who are the great mathematicians who believed in a deity? Does numerology lead anywhere when applied to sacred literature? Pickover covers these and many other off-trail topics with his usual verve, humor, and clarity. And along the way the reader will learn a great deal of serious mathematics.”Martin Gardner, author of The Book of Visual Illusions Pickover has done it again, with a marvelously entertaining, historical romp through the unexpected connections between mathematics and mysticism.”Paul Hoffman, Discover magazine Clifford A. Pickover leads readers on a dazzling, lushly illustrated tour of the intersection of number and the numinous.”Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
From the mysterious cult of Pythagoras to the awesome mechanics of Stonehenge to the gargoyles” and fractals on todays computers, mathematics has always been a powerful, even divine force in the world. In a lively, intelligent synthesis of math, mysticism, and science fiction, Clifford Pickover explains the eternal magic of numbers. Taking a uniquely humorous approach, he appoints readers Chief Historian” of an intergalactic museum and sends them, along with a quirky cast of characters, hurtling through the ages to explore how individuals used numbers for such purposes as predicting the end of the world, finding love, and winning wars.