the irrationals-a story of the numbers you can't count on

下载地址

The ancient Greeks discovered them, but it wasn t until the nineteenth century that irrational numbers were properly understood and rigorously defined, and even today not all their mysteries have been revealed. In The Irrationals, the first popular and comprehensive book on the subject, Julian Havil tells the story of irrational numbers and the mathematicians who have tackled their challenges, from antiquity to the twenty-first century. Along the way, he explains why irrational numbers are surprisingly difficult to define and why so many questions still surround them. Fascinating and illuminating, this is a book for everyone who loves math and the history behind it.

古希腊人发现了它们，但直到19世纪才对无理数有了正确的理解和严格的定义，即使在今天也没有揭示出它们的全部奥秘。在《非理性》一书中，朱利安·哈维尔讲述了从古代到二十一世纪，非理性数字和数学家们应对挑战的故事。在这一过程中，他解释了为什么非理性数字难以定义，以及为什么还有那么多的问题围绕着它们。这本书引人入胜，富有启发性，适合所有热爱数学和数学背后的历史的人。