Beyond infinity
by Eugenia Cheng · first published 2017
67% recommend33% neutral
Even small children know there are infinitely many whole numbers - start counting and you'll never reach the end. But there are also infinitely many decimal numbers between zero and one. Are these two types of infinity the same? Are they larger or smaller than each other? Can we even talk about 'larger' and 'smaller' when we talk about infinity? In Beyond Infinity, international maths sensation Eugenia Cheng reveals the inner workings of infinity. What happens when a new guest arrives at your infinite hotel - but you already have an infinite number of guests? How does infinity give Zeno's tort
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If you're looking for a delightful book on the subject of infinity, check out Beyond Infinity by Eugenia Cheng. She covers the infinite hotel problem mentioned in another comment, plus all the topics listed here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Infinity_(mathematics... Very fun read.
on “How can some infinities be bigger than others?” ↗I just finished reading Godel's Proof (a non-textbook account of the proof recommended by Hofstader in GEB) and it was mind-blowing. I really recommend that and David Foster Wallace's Beyond Infinity. Beyond Infinity is great history of set theory and written in an exciting and fun style. I came across the ideas the opposite way...I loved math as child and as engineer but I always felt like systems…
on “Set Theory and Foundations of Mathematics” ↗Any recommendation on good textbooks? Now I'm reading Eugenia Cheng's Beyond Infinity. I'm aware this is not textbook though, more like popular math book.
on “Ask HN: Does anyone know of any textbooks on infinity?” ↗