One, two, three ... infinity
by George Gamow · first published 1947
80% recommend20% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Accessible popular-science tour of math and physics, with chapters on infinities and Cantor and on relativity that readers find fun; suits curious kids and teens who want the big ideas before the textbooks.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This wonderful book is an introduction to the relationship between mathematics and the physical world. It explains elements of quantum theory, relativity, and purer mathematics, in a way apprenendible by young or uninitiated readers. (It was a delightful eye-opener to many 8th graders, doomed to later become engineers and physists!)
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Point him at Project Euler. Books: (remembered fondly from my childhood & adolescence) The World of Mathematics (ed. Newman) Symbolic Logic by Suzanne Langer How to Solve it by Polya One, Two, Three, Infinity by Gamow What is Mathematics by Courant & Robbins.
on “Ask HN: Fun challenges for a 9 year-old math whiz?” ↗Get him some good interesting math books. A few suggestions: One, Two, Three, Infinity by George Gamow. The World of Mathematics [4 volume set] edited by James Newman and, perhaps in a few years, What Is Mathematics, by Courant and Robbins and Symbolic Logic, by Suzanne Langer all books…
…and an interest in exploring math further. It's a great collection ranging from mathematical curiousities and puzzles to memoirs of mathematicians to a very moving short story by Aldous Huxley. Also, One, Two, Three, Infinity by George Gamow (a great physicist) is a great intro. Second the How To Solve It recommendations.
on “Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?” ↗…Bryson, Brian Greene, Lee Smolin and Leonard Susskind books but they came quite a bit later. Good suggestions though. What stands out that I could read in the 1980s? I mentioned George Gamow's little book: One Two Three . . . Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science. Many Carl Sagan books were available by then. Ask Google. Isaac Asimov wrote about everything, but his monthly essays in the Fantasy & Science Fiction (magazine)…
on “Stephen Hawking has died” ↗…by David Macaulay and Neil Ardley This book is like an encyclopedia, starting from simple machines and guiding the reader to more complex technologies. The illustrations and diagrams are amazing. - One, Two, Three...Infinity by George Gamow This book talks about many topics in math and science!
on “Ask HN: How to get 9-12 years old interested into Science domains through books?” ↗I learned about Cantor and the concept of comparing infinities through George Gamow's excellent book, "One, Two, Three ... Infinity" many years ago. While most of the book's content on cosmology and atomic physics may be out of date (or now wrong), it's chapters on mathematics and Einstein's relativity are still a fun read.
on “How Big Is Infinity?” ↗…Smullyan "UDEXIA: Interactive Escape Room Book - Puzzle Game Book - Play with Friends, Family or by Yourself" by RIDL "Daedalian Depths: Unravel the clues and escape the labyrinth " by Raml Hansenne "One Two Three . . . Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science (Dover Books on Mathematics) " George Gamow "The Joy Of X: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity" by Steven Strogatz "Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden…
on “Ask HN: Interesting courses/books to counter a looming burnout?” ↗…documentaries and podcasts. What I've encountered so far: TV shows: Dark, Devs, Fringe, 12 Monkeys Movies: The Prestige, Coherence, Shutter Island, Predestination, Memento, Triangle, Primer Books: One, two, three, ...infinity - Gamow No spoilers please.
on “Ask HN: Media that made you question the established notion of what's real?” ↗…to handle that use case. So in this case the limit allowed the company to identify a new market that they could better serve in an alternative way. BTW, the George Gamow book that the name comes from (One, Two, Three… Infinity) is a great read for anyone interested in popular descriptions of physics or math. He also lived a very interesting life, I would recommend his autobiography "My World Line".
on “Zero One Infinity Rule” ↗Here are a few popular science books: One Two Three . . . Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science by George Gamow Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite by Rudy Rucker Yearning for the Impossible: The Surprising Truths of Mathematics…
on “Ask HN: Does anyone know of any textbooks on infinity?” ↗Probably One, Two, Three, Infinity by George Gamow. Got me started, as well as a few others. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Two_Three..._Infinity Name drops Neil deGrasse Tyson (Is he that old?) Internet Archive has a 1961 copy.…
on “Ask HN: What book has been most influential in your life?” ↗Also from Gamow, and something that blew my (then) 12 year old mind: 1-2-3-Infinity https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Two_Three..._Infinity
on “A Slower Speed of Light (2012)” ↗Also, George Gamow's work is exemplary in making complex ideas understandable. See, for example: >One, Two, Three... Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science (1947) https://www.amazon.com/One-Two-Three-Infinity-Speculations/d... PDF: https://archive.org/details/OneTwoThreeInfinity_158 .......................... >Thirty…
on “In 1870, Lord Rayleigh used oil and water to calculate the size of molecules” ↗I was going to say One, Two, Three, Infinity by George Gamow, but that's not a textbook, so what stands out in my mind are the Feynmann Lectures. When I started out in computing, think 8080 and 6502, there were basically no books. On the optics…
on “Ask HN: Which is the best textbook you have ever read?” ↗One Two Three... Infinity by George Gamow
on “Ask HN: light mathematical/scientific reading with computer exercises?” ↗