Zero
The Biography of a dangerous idea
Charles Seife
Global Evaluation: 4.5 out of 5
Global Difficulty: 2 out of 5
Insight: 4 out of 5
One Sentence Summary
This is the story of zero, from its birth in ancient times to its growth and nourishment in the East, its struggle for acceptance in Europe, its ascendance in the West, and its ever-present threat to modern physics. It is the story of the people who battled over the meaning of the mysterious number-the scholars and mystics, the scientists and clergymen who each tried to understand zero. It is the story of the Western world’s attempts to shield itself unsuccessfully (and sometimes violently) from an Eastern idea. And it is a history of the paradoxes posed by an innocent-looking number, rattling even this century’s brightest minds and threatening to unravel the whole framework of scientific thought.
Best quote from the book
Zero was at the heart of the battle between East and West. Zero was at the centre of the struggle between religion and science.Zero became the language of nature and the most important tool in mathematics. And the most profound problems in physics are struggles to defeat zero.
Extended summary and Personal Opinion
This book was given to me from a friend of mine as a gift; while a lot of material is far from original, the I had a great time reading some really insightful and interesting stories about one of the most mysterious concepts in mathematics under a new point of view.
The book covers the story of the invention (or the discovery?) of zero and its twin, the concept of infinity. We start back in the far East, for then coming to the Hellenics, to the Mayas, to the eternal fight between science and religion, the the fight between East and West and to the unstoppable development of new scientific theories in spite of stereotypes and and the opposition of the old ruling (scientific and cultural) ruling class.
The first part is devoted to the history, invention and acceptance of the concepts of zero and infinity. The second part covers the modern and current struggles of handling these mysterious concepts, either in mathematics, physics and applied sciences.
The second part is where this book truly shines. While the first part is a summary of anecdotes, curiosities and facts that can be found easily elsewhere, the second part really gives you a glimpse on modern open problems in mathematics and physics where a better definition and understanding of zero (and infinity) could be a true major breakthrough in our understanding of the universe, from the infinitely small to the infinitely big.
To Whom I recommend this book
I would recommend this book:
- to the 18 years old high school student that is scared about mathematics and hard sciences in general, so that he can see how beautiful this topic can be with.
- To the scientist who want to re-learn the concept of zero and learn some beautiful anecdotes about the history of science
- To the philosophers of science who want an introductory book to the concept of infinity
- to the the gifts amateurs out there that want to see the old famous problems under a new light
Books I wish I had read before
- Aristotle, Metaphysics
- Hawking, a history of time
- Simon Singh, Fermat Last theorem