Everything and Even More. A Compact History of Infinity

A brief and understandable history of one of the most abstract and fascinating mathematical concepts. Since ancient times, its nature has troubled mathematicians and philosophers. Is infinity real? Or is it just a meaningless abstraction? Infinity was approached by Plato and Aristotle, and two thousand years later, they were followed by Galileo and Newton. But it was only the scientists of the 19th century who managed to lay the foundations of a completely new mathematics — the mathematics of infinity. The amazing and paradoxical discovery of Georg Cantor — an endless sequence of growing infinities — allowed humanity to gaze for the first time into strange unexplored areas where the usual rules of arithmetic do not apply. There, it is indeed possible to find everything… and even more. David Foster Wallace is a magnificent guide through these mysterious places: patiently, with his characteristic wit, he paves the way for the reader through the ideas and theories that led to Cantor's discovery. The history of infinity in his version is filled with curious details and narrated with the inventiveness and skill that have earned its author the reputation of one of the most outstanding voices of his generation.