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 Godel's vexing theorem, from
perpetual motion to the upredictable behavior of chaotic systems such
as the weather.
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.
Reviews
…appropriate for general readership…should prove as popular as his other books…” (Short Book Reviews, Vol.24, No.3, December 2004)
“…an intelligent book with considerable enthusiasm…” (Materials World, Vol.13, No.1)
"...one of the most rewarding science reads I have had the pleasure of in a long time....”(Chemistry & Industry, 17 January 2005)
“…fascinating…keeps firmly to the areas of science where the impossibility is demonstrable.” (Fortean Times, No 189, November 2004)
“…looks closely at eight great problems that reveal the limits of science…” (Materials World, September 2004)
