Book Description

Book Description
A Budget of Paradoxes, originally published in 1915, is mathematician Augustus De Morgan's most accessible and entertaining work. Well-known for his wit, De Morgan takes aim at those people he calls "paradoxers," which in modern terms would most closely resemble crackpots. Paradoxers, however, are not crazy, necessarily-rather, they hold views wildly outside the accepted sphere. If you believed the world was round when everyone else knew that it was flat, you would be a paradoxer. In this book, De Morgan reviews a number of books from his own library written by such "crackpots" who claim to have solved a great many of the puzzles of mathematics and science, including squaring a circle, creating perpetual motion, and overcoming gravity. Each is thoroughly put in his place in ways both entertaining and informative to readers. Skeptics, students of science, and anyone who likes pondering a puzzle will find this book a delightful read. British mathematician AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN (1806-1871) invented the term mathematical induction. Among his many published works is Trigonometry and Double Algebra (1849). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of "A Budget of Paradoxes"
I first ran across this book in a reference in one of Martin Gardiner's books, and ordered it knowing little about it.

Augustus de Morgan was an English mathematician who lived from 1806-1871.He uses the term "paradox" to mean a person who has views or theories contrary to the established system, in a variety of fields, including mathematics, the sciences in general, religion, politics, etc.

This book is a single paperback book containing both Volumes 1 and 2.This was originally published as two volumes in 1915.However, the material all dates from the 1860's and earlier, and Volume 1 was apparently published in that time.

This book is about people as revealed in their books and letters.In most or all cases, these were books or pamphlets or letters which were in de Morgan's collection.They are taken in chronological order, meaning the subject will jump from geometry to atomic theory to religion and back again.Some are described in a few sentences or paragraphs, some in a page or two, and some run on for multiple pages.

One of the more common themes is the squaring of the circle or the related question of the calculation of pi.It might be assumed that de Morgan would go into detail about the methods used, the errors introduced, refutation of the false ideas, etc.But this is a book mainly about people, and so you'll find a discussion of this or that person, and generally what their ideas were, but in most cases, not a detailed analysis of their work or their errors.

A general understanding of mathematical and scientific principles is helpful when reading the work, although, as noted, it is not a book of math theorems.Fortunately, most of the French and Latin quotations have been translated by the editors.

The value of the work seems to me to be threefold.First, it reviews a great number of works and people, many of which were obscure in their own day, and many of which would be impossible to find today.Secondly, it serves as a window into the 19th century (and earlier) world of math and science, the ways of thinking, and the relationships between different groups.Thirdly, de Morgan does have occasional real gems of humor or wording in his work, and what might be otherwise very dry writing is made considerably more interesting by his sense of humor. ... Read more

Book Description
1842. Part 1 of 2. Augustus De Morgan was an important innovator in the field of logic. In addition, he made many contributions to the field of mathematics and the chronicling of the history of mathematics. The Differential and Integral Calculus was published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, whose object was to spread scientific and other knowledge by means of cheap and clearly written treatises by the best writers of the time. Partial contents: Differentiation; Integration; Development; Series; Differential Equations; Differences; Summation; Equations of Differences; Calculus of Variations; Definite Integrals-with Applications to Algebra; Plane Geometry; Solid Geometry; and Mechanics. Elementary illustrations of the Differential and Integral Calculus are also included. Other volumes in this set are ISBN(s): 1417910046. ... Read more

Book Description
1836. Augustus De Morgan was an important innovator in the field of logic. In addition, he made many contributions to the field of mathematics and the chronicling of the history of mathematics. This is his treatise on Trigonometry and meant to be used as a student text. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics edition is a facsimile reprint of a 1882 edition by Longmans, Green, and Co., London. ... Read more

Book Description
One of the key works on the development of logic, de Morgan's work forms the bridge between the researches of Hamilton and Boole.His greatest contribution to scientific knowledge undoubtedly lay in his logical researches; and the subsequent development of symbolic logic, with its powerful influences on both philosophy and technology, owes much to his fundamental work. ... Read more