The Nature of Infinitesimals
 | |
| Author | Peter F Erickson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Philosophy of mathematics, infinitesimals |
| Published | 2012 |
| Publisher | Xlibris Corporation |
| Pages | 260 |
| ISBN | 1479701831 |
The Nature of Infinitesimals is a book by the philosopher Peter F Erickson, published by Xlibris (first edition 2012; later editions 2013 and 2016). It is a treatise on the philosophy and history of the infinitesimal and the nature of number.
Overview
Erickson states that his purpose is "to prove the existence of the infinitesimal and reveal some important facts regarding the nature of numbers and the outer infinity." He regards the infinitesimal as a key to understanding much of the scientific basis of the universe, and applies the idea to absolute space, time and motion, and to absolute zero temperature. The book interweaves mathematical examples with historical discussion drawn from Aristotle, Kant, Euler, Newton and others, covering potential versus actual infinity, irrational and imaginary numbers, the tangent, and related topics.
Central to the work is what Erickson calls the veritable number system, in which positive and negative numbers are treated as incompatible for the basic mathematical operations.
About the author
Peter F. Erickson is a philosopher who writes on the foundations of mathematics and physics. His other books include Absolute Space, Absolute Time, & Absolute Motion and The Nature of Negative Numbers.
Publication details
- Author: Peter F Erickson
- Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
- Published: 2012 (later editions 2013, 2016)
- Pages: 260
- ISBN: 1479701831
Links to Purchase Book
- The Nature of Infinitesimals (Amazon)