The Recursive Universe: Cosmic Complexity and the Limits of Scientific Knowledge (Dover Books on Science) Reprint Edition, Kindle Edition

by WIlliam Poundstone (Author)

17 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0486490984

ISBN-10: 048649098X

Why is ISBN important?

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Share <Embed>

Buy

$10.50

eBook features:

Highlight, take notes, and search in the book
Length: 254 pages
Word Wise: Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download

Available on these devices:

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

includes VAT

Digital List Price: $13.98

Print List Price: $16.95 Save $6.45 (38%)‎

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Enter a promotion code or Gift Card

See all 3 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$10.50

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

—

$52.62

$6.49

Paperback

"Please retry"

$14.16

$7.99

$2.86

No winners, no losers, and no end — the Game of Life, also known simply as Life, is no ordinary computer game. Created by British mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970, Life debuted in Scientific American, where it was hailed as the key to a new area of mathematical research, the field of cellular automata. Less of a game than a demonstration of logical possibilities, Life is based on simple rules and produces patterns of light and dark on computer screens that reflect the unpredictability, complexity, and beauty of the universe.
This fascinating popular science journey explores Life's relationship to concepts in information theory, explaining the application of natural law to random systems and demonstrating the necessity of limits. Other topics include the paradox of complexity, Maxwell's demon, Big Bang theory, and much more. Written in the 1980s by a bestselling author, the book remains up to date in its treatment of timeless aspects of physics, including the ways in which complex forms and behavior governed by simple laws can appear to arise spontaneously under random conditions.

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.

William Poundstone

97

Kindle Edition
$9.99
William Poundstone

162

Kindle Edition
$9.99
Thomas S. Kuhn

441

Kindle Edition
$10.49
Edward O. Thorp

174

Kindle Edition
$13.99
William Poundstone

21

Kindle Edition
$12.99
Zoe McKey

17

Kindle Edition
$3.99

Product details

File Size: 11006 KB
Print Length: 254 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications; Reprint edition (June 19, 2013)
Publication Date: June 19, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00GXV7LN4
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray:

Not Enabled

Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,170 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #73 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Science > Physics > System Theory
- #100 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Science > Mathematics > Chaos & Systems
- #292 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Science > Physics > Quantum Theory

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?

Be the first video

Your name here

Customer reviews

Write a customer review

See all 17 customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Francisco

Chaos: Complexity from simplicity

February 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

I have been thinking for day about the fundamental question: is it possible to extract complexity from simplicity? This book, through the use of simulation answer affirmatively: you can do it if you use recursion... and if you allow for randomness to create a simple computer to you... a fascinating read on how information theory could be the grand unified theory that physics has been searching for

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Gary Dameron

Not Poundstone Quality

January 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

This author has the ability to write very interesting books. Prisoner's Dilemma is one of only a handful of books I have found worth reading more than once. Fortune's Formula was hard to put down. In this book, William Poundstone uses the computer graphics routine, Life, to set up his narratives of cosmology and evolution. If you are a big fan of Life, and enjoy savoring lots of little details about it, then you will enjoy reading this book and seeing Life tied into the larger theories. Otherwise, the excruciating detail can get to be a grind.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Ghassan Ayesh

Brilliant, profound

January 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

Brilliant, profound, and deep, yet it is easy to read and engaging. This book is a rare gem that drives you to think and think more!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Peter D. McLoughlin

Enjoyable introduction to Complexity but a little out of date.

September 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

This book covers the topic of mathematical complexity and how it develops in the physical world. It was written decades ago and has been surpassed with new research. However it is a good introduction. I would recommend reading it but realize the more recent stuff has the advantage of more findings that may not have been available at the time of this books writing. The subject is fascinating and Poundstone writes other good popularizations of applied math like "prisoner's dilemma".

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

H. Gibbons

A must-read

October 4, 2001

Verified Purchase

I've given many copies of this book to my students--the ones who have particular promise, the ones who ask questions about things. Like the question that Poundstone asks in the book: where did all this complex stuff come from. Of all the complexity literature--Arthur, Kaufman, et al--I've found this the most meaningful. And the use of the Game of Life to illustrate the emergence of the complex is beautifully done.

16 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Good book, good seller

July 19, 2013

Verified Purchase

The book arrived promptly and is in excellent condition. As to the contents, this is an informative, well-written book by a well-known author. I enjoy reading it, as I have his other books.

Helpful

Comment

Daniel Levy

Awesome book

August 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

This book explains the complexity of our Universe by using Conway's Game of Life to show how massive complexity emerges from simple recursive rules. Understanding this book will change the way you view the Universe and it's complexity. I keep referring back to it and rereading certain sections. The author doesn't spell out these conclusions, he lays out the foundations and allows the reader to formulate his/her own theories. I hope he writes a sequel to this book incorporating some of the new discoveries of physics and cosmology.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

C M Sanyk

One of my favorite reads of all time.

July 9, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is a fantastic, mind blowing book, spanning a wide array of topics ranging from information theory, to cellular automata, computer science, complexity, chaos, and self-organizing structures. You will gain deep insights into how the universe must work on a fundamental level. One of my favorite reads of all time.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: The Recursive Universe: Cosmic Complexity and the Limits of Scientific Knowledge (Dover Books on Science)

Set up a giveaway

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Kindle Edition

William Poundstone

73

$11.99
Kindle Edition

William Poundstone

21

$12.99

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

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.

William Poundstone

73

Kindle Edition
$11.99
William Poundstone

21

Kindle Edition
$12.99
William Poundstone

97

Kindle Edition
$9.99
William Poundstone

162

Kindle Edition
$9.99
Apostolos Doxiadis

216

Kindle Edition
$15.86

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.

Would you like to report poor quality or formatting in this book? Click here

Would you like to report this content as inappropriate? Click here

Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? Click here

The Recursive Universe: Cosmic Complexity and the Limits of Scientific Knowledge (Dover Books on Science) Reprint Edition, Kindle Edition

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Customer reviews

Read reviews that mention

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Most recent customer reviews

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

The Recursive Universe: Cosmic Complexity and the Limits of Scientific Knowledge (Dover Books on Science) Reprint Edition, Kindle Edition

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Customer reviews

Read reviews that mention

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Most recent customer reviews

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Customers who viewed this item also viewed