A Tour of the Calculus

David Berlinski

Apr 2011 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

Were it not for the calculus, mathematicians would have no way to describe the acceleration of a motorcycle or the effect of gravity on thrown balls and distant planets, or to prove that a man could cross a room and eventually touch the opposite wall. Just how calculus makes these things possible and in doing so finds a correspondence between real numbers and the real world is the subject of this dazzling book by a writer of extraordinary clarity and stylistic brio. Even as he initiates us into the mysteries of real numbers, functions, and limits, Berlinski explores the furthest implications of his subject, revealing how the calculus reconciles the precision of numbers with the fluidity of the changing universe.



"An odd and tantalizing book by a writer who takes immense pleasure in this great mathematical tool, and tries to create it in others."--New York Times Book Review

Ratings and reviews

I have been teaching university calculus courses for over 40 years. This book, although probably not the most approapriate for a beginning college student to use in a course, it would be an excellent book for extra reading for a very good student or for anyone simply interested in some historical development of the subject. I have taught the Dedekind Cut defintion of the real line many times, and although I agree with some of the critical reviewers that Berlinski's description was rather long-winded, Berlinski's description was very nice. The book is not meant for everyone, but if the elaborate text appeals to you, it might be just the book for you.

unforgettable analogies. Over simplified funny, brilliant, outrageous, true simple stories explain calculus easily, freely, unforgettable analogies.

About the author

David Berlinksi was born in New York City. He received a B.A. degree from Columbia College and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. He has taught mathematics and philosophy at universities in the United States and France.