Siobhan Roberts píše o složitosti matematiky a vědy s brilantností a přístupností, často se zaměřuje na životy a díla matematiků, aby zpřístupnila jejich fascinující svět širšímu publiku. Její práce vyniká schopností odhalit hluboké myšlenky a lidské příběhy za abstraktními koncepty. Roberts je oceňovanou novinářkou, která svými články v předních publikacích obohacuje debatu o vědě a matematice.
John Horton Conway, a charismatic mathematician, is celebrated for his groundbreaking contributions to mathematical symmetry and the invention of the Game of Life. His unique teaching style at Cambridge and later Princeton involved playful demonstrations using everyday objects, showcasing his imaginative approach to mathematics. This biography delves into his eccentric personality and professional quirks, providing an intimate glimpse into the mind of a truly original thinker who viewed mathematics as a source of beauty and joy.
"There is perhaps no better way to prepare for the scientific breakthroughs of tomorrow than to learn the language of geometry." ―Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe The word "geometry" brings to mind an array of mathematical circles, triangles, the Pythagorean Theorem. Yet geometry is so much more than shapes and numbers; indeed, it governs much of our lives―from architecture and microchips to car design, animated movies, the molecules of food, even our own body chemistry. And as Siobhan Roberts elegantly conveys in The King of Infinite Space , there can be no better guide to the majesty of geometry than Donald Coxeter, perhaps the greatest geometer of the twentieth century. Many of the greatest names in intellectual history―Pythagoras, Plato, Archimedes, Euclid― were geometers, and their creativity and achievements illuminate those of Coxeter, revealing geometry to be a living, ever-evolving endeavor, an intellectual adventure that has always been a building block of civilization. Coxeter's special contributions―his famed Coxeter groups and Coxeter diagrams―have been called by other mathematicians "tools as essential as numbers themselves," but his greatest achievement was to almost single-handedly preserve the tradition of classical geometry when it was under attack in a mathematical era that valued all things austere and rational. Coxeter also inspired many outside the field of mathematics. Artist M. C. Escher credited Coxeter with triggering his legendary Circle Limit patterns, while futurist/inventor Buckminster Fuller acknowledged that his famed geodesic dome owed much to Coxeter's vision. The King of Infinite Space is an elegant portal into the fascinating, arcane world of geometry.
Focusing on the life and contributions of Donald Coxeter, this biography highlights his passion for shapes and symmetries in the face of a shift towards algebraic geometry. It details his groundbreaking work with Coxeter groups and diagrams, showcasing his pivotal role in preserving classical geometry. By placing Coxeter among historical giants like Pythagoras and Euclid, the narrative emphasizes his creativity and the dynamic essence of geometry. A foreword by Douglas R. Hofstadter adds depth to this tribute to a remarkable mathematician.
