Beyond reason : eight great problems that reveal the limits of science

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Beyond reason : eight great problems that reveal the limits of science

A.K. Dewdney

Wiley, c2004

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Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

A mind-bending excursion to the limits of science and mathematics Are some scientific problems insoluble? In Beyond Reason, internationally acclaimed math and science author A. K. Dewdney answers this question by examining eight insurmountable mathematical and scientific roadblocks that have stumped thinkers across the centuries, from ancient mathematical conundrums such as "squaring the circle," first attempted by the Pythagoreans, to G?del's vexing theorem, from perpetual motion to the upredictable behavior of chaotic systems such as the weather. A. K. Dewdney, PhD (Ontario, Canada), was the author of Scientific American's "Computer Recreations" column for eight years. He has written several critically acclaimed popular math and science books, including A Mathematical Mystery Tour (0-471-40734-8); Yes, We Have No Neutrons (0-471-29586-8); and 200% of Nothing (0-471-14574-2).

Table of Contents

Introduction: Where Reason Cannot Go. Math in the Cosmos. 1. The Energy Drain: Impossible Machines. 2. The Cosmic Limit: Unreachable Speeds. 3. The Quantum Curtain: Unknowable Particles. 4. The Edge of Chaos: Unpredictable Systems. Math in the Holos. 5. The Circular Crypt: Unconstructable Figures. 6. The Chains of Reason: Unprovable Theorems. 7. The Computer Treadmill: Impossible Programs. 8. The Big-O Bottleneck: Intractable Problems. References. Further Reading. Index.

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