So, I sped through, glomming the easy parts. I do not know how you do it without actually treating it as a course. I enjoyed the historical and theoretical points, which is really what I wanted, but after a while the equations got to me and I realize I just do not have the time, or inclination, to concentrate hard enough to learn it. As he noted in the post script, the actual math can get in the way of most people learning. To be fair, I did learn some things, particularly at the beginning. I thought this would be an interesting way to learn more. The present book was written around 1911, and is definitely dated in spots - for instance he talks about electro-magnetic vibrations in the "ether" - but that doesn't detract from either its usefulness or readability. Perhaps the reader best served by this book would be one who is comfortable with the practice of math at least through the basic high school level (geometry, algebra, trigonometry), and possibly more, but is just starting to think about the underlying philosophy: the "why" of math as opposed to the "how" of it.įor those who don't know, Whitehead was, of course, one of the premier philosophers of math of the early 20th century, co-author with Bertrand Russell of the 3-volume magnum opus "Principia Mathematica". Any actual proofs or expositions in the book are included only as examples of how these concepts play out in seemingly different areas of study. Whitehead's goal is to introduce some key concepts, common to all math, such as variables and abstraction. It is concerned with WHY we do math, and why math takes the form that it does. This book is really an introduction to the philosophy of math.
If you know little or no math, you MIGHT find this a good introduction (as the title implies), but don't expect any detailed exposition on the actual PRACTICE of math. I also found the comments on the measurement of time to be subtle and thought-provoking.
Alfred north whitehead intrest in math series#
I found the section on series particularly worth reading, because series were not well covered in my own math education. If you know some math, and have thought and read AT ALL about the philosophy of math, you will not find much new in this book still, since it will be quick and easy to read, you will probably find it worthwhile, for the occasional new insight or alternative way of looking at things. I confess, though, that I'm not sure who its best audience really is. This is a nice, little book: short, clear, and very well written. Tradicional na publicação de versões não-abreviadas, como menciona ser o caso da presente obra, é de se surpreender e de lamentar. Cabe, entretanto, observar que a Editora DOVER, notabilizada por reedições fiéis de clássicos (notadamente em Matemática e Ciências) suprimiu rodapés e algumas notas do autor disponíveis na edição de base, pela Henry Holt & Co. Her lies the road to pedantry." Um petardo contra os (não poucos !!!) maus autores/professores de Matemática mas que, 'pari passu' com seus desafortunados e sofridos alunos, podem usufruir, no decorrer da obra, do estilo humano e acolhedor dos ensinamentos filosóficos, não obstante firme e acessivelmente técnicos, do notável parceiro de Russell no monumental "Principia Mathematica'. But is equally an error to confine attention to technical processes, excluding consideration of general ideas. Logo adiante, Whitehead adverte, cotejando as facilidades técnicas com as idéias fundamentais da mestra de todas as ciências: "In this sense there is no royal road to learning.
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