Infinite Powers : The Story of Calculus - The Language of the Universe

Infinite Powers: The Story of Calculus - The Language of the Universe is a history of calculus by Professor Steven Strogatz. It is presented as a narrative account of the development of calculus and the people associated with it.

Synopsis

The book describes calculus as mathematics’ “greatest ever idea” and explores its impact on modern life, linking it to technologies such as computers, microwave ovens, GPS and space travel. It also notes that, before its wider influence, calculus was connected with centuries of controversy, competition and even death.

Spanning three millennia, Steven Strogatz traces the subject’s development from the time of Archimedes through to modern work in chaos theory and artificial intelligence. Along the way, it references a range of figures from Pythagoras to Fourier and considers the legacy of calculus across areas including science, politics, medicine and philosophy.