Where Do Numbers Come From?
eBook - PDF

Where Do Numbers Come From?

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Where Do Numbers Come From?

About this book

Why do we need the real numbers? How should we construct them? These questions arose in the nineteenth century, along with the ideas and techniques needed to address them. Nowadays it is commonplace for apprentice mathematicians to hear 'we shall assume the standard properties of the real numbers' as part of their training. But exactly what are those properties? And why can we assume them? This book is clearly and entertainingly written for those students, with historical asides and exercises to foster understanding. Starting with the natural (counting) numbers and then looking at the rational numbers (fractions) and negative numbers, the author builds to a careful construction of the real numbers followed by the complex numbers, leaving the reader fully equipped with all the number systems required by modern mathematical analysis. Additional chapters on polynomials and quarternions provide further context for any reader wanting to delve deeper.

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Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title page
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright page
  5. Epigraph
  6. Contents
  7. Introduction
  8. Part I The Rationals
  9. Part II The Natural Numbers
  10. Part III The Real Numbers (and the Complex Numbers)
  11. Appendices
  12. References
  13. Index

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Yes, you can access Where Do Numbers Come From? by T. W. Körner in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Mathematics & Mathematics General. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.