Portland Public Library

Infinitesimal, how a dangerous mathematical theory shaped the modern world, Amir Alexander

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Infinitesimal

bibliography

846545899

Amir Alexander

how a dangerous mathematical theory shaped the modern world

On August 10, 1632, five leaders of the Society of Jesus convened in a Roman palazzo to pass judgment on a radical idea-- that a continuous line is composed of distinct and limitlessly tiny parts. The judges ruled that it was forbidden, setting off a war for the soul of the modern world. This is the story of the struggle that pitted Europe's entrenched powers against voices for tolerance and change. It takes us from the bloody religious strife of the sixteenth century to the battlefields of the English civil war and the fierce confrontations between leading thinkers like Galileo and Hobbes. The legitimacy of popes and kings, as well as our modern beliefs in human liberty and progressive science, hung in the balance. Pulsing with drama and excitement, Infinitesimal will forever change the way you look at a simple line--and celebrates the spirit of discovery, innovation, and intellectual achievement.--, Provided by publisher"The epic battle over a mathematical concept that shook the old order and shaped the world as we know it"--, Provided by publisher

How a dangerous mathematical theory shaped the modern world