This section helps in learning about the central ideas of a book that has a very similar audience and purpose. Reviewing the central ideas gives me points to include in my introduction.
This book revolves around the mystery of the omnipresence of mathematics. It discusses different perspectives of how to answer the question of the “unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics” as put forward in Wigner’s Enigma. It shows how mathematics evolved from the Pythagoreans’ love of numbers, to Descartes’ analytical methods, and from Newton’s laws of gravitation to Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
◦This book seeks to answer the question of whether mathematics is a discovery or an invention and also aims to explain the active and passive powers of mathematics, active powers referring to the accuracy with which mathematical laws can be created to model nature for specific purposes, and passive powers being mathematical laws created for non- practical purposes that find practical application a long time after their invention or discovery.
◦This book also subtly shows how knowledge is gained irrespective of age, profession, nationality, etc. It shows how the act of gaining knowledge does not require specialization in a particular field but only requires a genuine interest. Through examples of Boole, Grassman, Godel, etc.
◦It also shows the interdisciplinarity of the sciences, mathematics and philosophy and how mathematics permeates through each of these. Even Quetelet acknowledged the fact that advancement in the Sciences leads them to further their deep relationship with Mathematics.
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