The Mystery of the Aleph

Mathematics, the Kabbalah, and the Search for Infinity

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Amir D. Aczel: The Mystery of the Aleph (2001, Washington Square Press)

Paperback, 288 pages

English language

Published Sept. 1, 2001 by Washington Square Press.

ISBN:
978-0-7434-2299-4
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4 stars (1 review)

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4 stars

A finite history of infinities.

From Pythagoreans, the Kabbalah, Galileo, Bolzano, Gauss, Riemann, Weierstrass, to Cantor. From Cantor to Gödel, Zermelo, and the eugenist Bertrand Russel.

Philosophers and mathematicians, some of them utterly entranced by the concept, like moths to the flame. Some of them completely oblivious a world war was tempestuously unravelling around them — that someone is Gödel, who was no longer a part of this dimension, narrowly escaping being drafted in some army, having to cross Siberia to arrive to the US. Like Cantor before him, his mental and physical health were quickly deteriorating, along with his trust for people around him. This is also one of my criticisms, the author goes at length to put an equal sign between studying set theory and developing mental health issues, which only serves to create stigma(s).

The book also talks about the axiom of choice — the statement that …

Subjects

  • Biography: general
  • History of mathematics
  • Popular science
  • Mathematics
  • Cabala
  • Biography & Autobiography
  • Biography / Autobiography
  • Biography/Autobiography
  • Religious
  • General
  • Scientists - General
  • Science / General
  • Infinite