The Limits of Mathematics: A course on information theory and the limits of formal reasoning (Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science) First Edition Edition

by Gregory J. Chaitin (Author)

2 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-9813083592

ISBN-10: 981308359X

Why is ISBN important?

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Buy used

$9.81

Condition: Used - Good

In Stock. Sold by Book Bliss Online, Fulfilled by Amazon

Condition: Used: Good

Comment: Name stamped on title page. Good readable copy. Worn edges and covers and may have small creases. Otherwise item is in good condition. Your satisfaction is guaranteed!

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

34 Used from $2.33

Turn on 1-Click ordering

More Buying Choices

9 New from $42.49 34 Used from $2.33

43 used & new from $2.33

See All Buying Options

There is a newer edition of this item:

The LIMITS of MATHEMATICS: A Course on Information Theory and the Limits of Formal Reasoning (Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science)
$149.00
(2)
In Stock.

Free%20Two-Day%20Shipping%20for%20College%20Students%20with%20Amazon%20Student

This book is the final version of a course on algorithmic information theory and the epistemology of mathematics and physics. It discusses Einstein and Goedel's views on the nature of mathematics in the light of information theory, and sustains the thesis that mathematics is quasi-empirical. There is a foreword by Cris Calude of the University of Auckland, and supplementary material is available at the author's web site. The special feature of this book is that it presents a new "hands on" didatic approach using LISP and Mathematica software. The reader will be able to derive an understanding of the close relationship between mathematics and physics. "The Limits of Mathematics is a very personal and idiosyncratic account of Greg Chaitin's entire career in developing algorithmic information theory. The combination of the edited transcripts of his three introductory lectures maintains all the energy and content of the oral presentations, while the material on AIT itself gives a full explanation of how to implement Greg's ideas on real computers for those who want to try their hand at furthering the theory." John Casti, Santa Fe Institute

The Limits of Mathematics: A course on information theory and the limits of formal reasoning (Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science)

Available from these sellers.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Gregory J. Chaitin

6

Hardcover
$106.53
Gregory J. Chaitin

3

Hardcover
$69.95
Gregory J. Chaitin

2

Hardcover
$149.00
Gregory. J. Chaitin

1

Hardcover
Gregory Chaitin

4

Paperback
$45.88
Gregory Chaitin

21

Hardcover
$6.46

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Product Details

Series: Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science
Hardcover: 148 pages
Publisher: Springer; First Edition edition (November 14, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 981308359X
ISBN-13: 978-9813083592
Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,481,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #603 in Books > Science & Math > Mathematics > Popular & Elementary > Counting & Numeration
- #1585 in Books > Science & Math > Mathematics > Pure Mathematics > Logic
- #4384 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > AI & Machine Learning

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customer Reviews

1.5 out of 5 stars

5 star		0%
4 star		0%
3 star		0%
2 star		50%
1 star		50%

See both customer reviews

Share your thoughts with other customers

Write a customer review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful

A subjective estimation

By Gary L. Herstein on March 3, 2007

Format: Hardcover

I wish that I could give this book a higher rating than I have, for the subject matter is one that I find of enormous intrinsic interest. Moreover, Dr. Chaitin is one of the most important contributors to this field of the last 30+ years.

My reasons for being disappointed in this book may well be the reasons others enthusiastically endorse it. Dr. Chaitin himself, in his preface, places this volume as the one thing he would most wish to save were a disaster to wipe out the rest of his oeuvre.

The sub-title of the book is "A Course on Information Theory and the Limits of Formal Reasoning." This sub-heading I find to be quite misleading. The book is not a "course" on any thing -- rather, it is a collection of a very small number of informal papers that Dr. Chaitin has given in recent years, and a very large number of pages devoted to LISP programs that can be used to demonstrate aspects of his extensions to the results of Turing and Goedel. The collection of articles seem largely redundant to me; any one of the articles by itself would be sufficient to summarize the rest of the book's contents. As for the programming, that should either have been provided in the form of a CD-ROM (as only someone of a genuinely "special" nature would actually sit down and manually type in all those instructions) or a functioning URL (such URL's as do appear in the book do not seem to be working as of this writing, Mar. 2007).

I was hoping to get something more comprehenive, and that could function as a stand-alone text. This book seems to be neither. The technical details are all to be found elsewhere, and the functional aspects that might translate into an actual course of study are simply not to be found at all. Dr.Read more ›

4 Comments Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Report abuse

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Rather a collection of introductory speeches than a course

By Cellier Cedric on February 9, 2011

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

The book is composed of a small set of speeches given at various occasions to maths students.
Each speech share the same topic and is build almost according to the same plan, and merely
introduces the research area of G. Chaitin from a very high standpoint, without giving any details.

So this can hardly be considered as a course.

The book is very frustrating because at several places the author jump over many expected details because he says he lacks time, yet in the following speech he again skip over details because he still lacks time. One would rather have an actual course that's diging from chapter to chapter into the core of the matter, instead of having to repeatedly read an introduction.

Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Report abuse

See both customer reviews (newest first)

Write a customer review