scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1515258

MaRDI QIDQ4507803zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors David Berlinski

Publication date 10 October 2000

zbMATH Keywords

computabilitymathematical logicrecursion theory

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General and miscellaneous specific topics (00A99) Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to mathematical logic and foundations (03-01)

Review text

This is a muse for a general audience mostly upon mathematical logic, recursion theory and computability, not algorithms as normally understood by mathematicians. In places the subject matter is closer to combinatorics. Some of the historical record is followed; after the calculus as founded by Newton and Leibniz (pre-calculus methods are ignored) the story jumps forward mainly to Peano, Frege, Hilbert, Gödel and Church. A few other scientific topics are treated; for some reason thermodynamics is one of them. Interspersed are several stories and fantasies, such as imaginary conversations with Leibniz and others, and scenes from somebody's sex life. Presumably they are intended to enhance the reader's understanding of algorithms. `This is a work of scholarship' (p. [iv]), but the signs are scarce: very few references are given and none to the work of the principal figures named above.

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(3)

• Algorithms, nymphs, and shepherds
• New Computational Paradigms
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