Beyond Reason: Eight Great Problems That Reveal the Limits of Science

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A mind-bending excursion to the limits of science and mathematicsbrAre 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.brA. 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).Introduction: iWhere Reason Cannot Go./ipbMath in the Cosmos./bp1. The Energy Drain: iImpossible Machines./ip2. The Cosmic Limit: iUnreachable Speeds./ip3. The Quantum Curtain: iUnknowable Particles./ip4. The Edge of Chaos: iUnpredictable Systems./ipbMath in the Holos./bp5. The Circular Crypt: iUnconstructable Figures./ip6. The Chains of Reason: iUnprovable Theorems./ip7. The Computer Treadmill: iImpossible Programs./ip8. The Big-O Bottleneck: iIntractable Problems./ipReferences.pFurther Reading.pIndex.“…appropriate for general readership…should prove as popular as his other books…” (iShort Book Reviews/i, Vol.24, No.3, December 2004)p“…an intelligent book with considerable enthusiasm…” (iMaterials World/i, Vol.13, No.1)p…one of the most rewarding science reads I have had the pleasure of in a long time….”i(Chemistry & Industry/i, 17 January 2005)p“…fascinating…keeps firmly to the areas of science where the impossibil?üQë…¸R ¾Û€

 

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