Surfing Through Hyperspace
Oxford University Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-19-514241-9 (ISBN)
No subject in mathematics has intrigued both children and adults as much as the idea of a fourth dimension. Philosophers and parapsychologists have meditated on this mysterious space that no-one can point to but may be all around us. Yet this extra dimension has a very real, practical value to mathematicians and physicists who use it everyday in their calculations. In the tradition of Flatland, and with an infectious enthusiasm, Clifford Pickover tackles the problems inherent in our 3-D brains trying to visualize a 4-D world, muses on the religious implications of the existence of higher-dimensional consciousness, and urges all curious readers to venture into 'the unexplored territory lying beyond the prison of the obvious'. Pickover alternates sections that explain the science of hyperspace with sections that dramatize mind-expanding concepts through a fictional dialogue between two futuristic FBI agents who dabble in fourth dimension as a matter of national security. This highly accessible and entertaining approach turns an intimidating subject into a scientific game open to all dreamers.
Surfing Through Hyperspace concludes with a number of puzzles, computer experiments and formulas for further exploration, inviting readers to extend their minds across this inexhaustibly intriguing scientific terrain.
Clifford A. Pickover is a Research Staff Member at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Centre and is the author of many books, including Strange Brains and Genius and Time: A Traveller's Guide. He lives in Yorktown Heights, New York.
Preface
Introduction
1: Degrees of Freedom
2: The Divinity of Higher Dimensions
3: Satan and Perpendicular Worlds
4: Hyperspheres and Tesseracts
5: Mirror Worlds
6: The Gods of Hyperspace
Concluding Remarks
Appendix A: Mind-Bending Four Dimensional Puzzles
Appendix B: Higher Dimensions in Science Fiction
Appendix C: Banchoff Klein Bottle
Appendix D: Quaternions
Appendix E: Four-Dimensional Mazes
Appendix F: Smorgasbord for Computer Junkies
Appendix G: Evolution of Four-Dimensional Beings
Appendix H: Challenging Questions for Further Thought
Appendix I: Hyperspace Titles
Notes
Further Readings
About the Author
Addendum
Index
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 7.6.2001 |
|---|---|
| Zusatzinfo | 14 halftones, 42 line figures |
| Verlagsort | New York |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 152 x 229 mm |
| Gewicht | 395 g |
| Themenwelt | Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Weltraum / Astronomie |
| Mathematik / Informatik ► Mathematik ► Geometrie / Topologie | |
| Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Astronomie / Astrophysik | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-19-514241-1 / 0195142411 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-19-514241-9 / 9780195142419 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
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