La matematica degli dèi e gli algoritmi degli uomini

This is a fantastic book. It was hard to follow at the start, but I settled in quite nicely as I continued. The book dives into the philosophy of mathematics and sheds light on why things are the way they are, what it means to be real and what exists and what does not. Obviously the entire scope of

Paolo Zellini, almeno per un poveretto come me che non ha fatto le alte scuole, pone un problema di lettura. Io mi perdo sempre con tutte le sue citazioni di autori greci più o meno noti, e in questo caso mi sono anche trovato frammenti vedici che mi hanno completamente spiazzato e che confesso di n Leggi tutto

"... Hence algorithmic constructability and efficiency are both requisite when establishing an ontology of numbers." is probably the sentence I'd choose as representative of the book, I mean its slightly interesting second half (and for the easily distracted, I would add that the very same sentence

I had high hopes of gaining insights into the intersection of mathematics and human culture. Unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired, and I was underwhelmed by the author's approach. One of the book's major shortcomings lies in its inability to strike a harmonious balance between accessi Leggi tutto

I only got 25% of the way into this book before I found that whole pages were failing to make sense to me. The thesis is fascinating - that the roots of mathematical thought lie in the contemplation and worship of the gods - & I was content for a time to be carried along by Zellini's potent mixture

2.5. I prefer "Brief history of the infinite" (worth reading), which offers more insights and nuances (and a linear discourse). In fact this book seems as a reduction of Zellini's best insights... Furthermore I don't engage with his style of writing, sometimes opaque for those not acquainted with th Leggi tutto

Este libro requiere de una base matemática muy sólida para disfrutarlo al 100%. Algunos capítulos se me han hecho muy amenos, otros sin embargo se me atragantaron. He subrayado mucho y he tenido que tirar de internet en ocasiones, a pesar de que el libro en general está muy bien explicado, con numer Leggi tutto

Loved it. A lot of questions asked that I never even thought to consider at the heart of mathematics. Will return to it in the future for sure!