Infinite Powers. The Story of Calculus, the Language of the Unive

A magisterial history of calculus (and the people behind it) from one of the world´s foremost popularisers of mathematics, the author of The Joy of X.

This is the captivating story of mathematics´ greatest ever idea: calculus. Without it, there would be no computers, no microwave ovens, no GPS, and no space travel. But before it gave modern man almost infinite powers, calculus was behind centuries of controversy, competition, and even death.

Taking us on a thrilling journey through three millennia, professor Steven Strogatz charts the development of this seminal achievement from the days of Aristotle to today´s million-dollar reward that awaits whoever cracks Reimann´s hypothesis. Filled with idiosyncratic characters from Pythagoras to Euler, Infinite Powers is a compelling human drama that reveals the legacy of calculus on nearly every aspect of modern civilisation, including science, politics, ethics, philosophy, and much besides.