商品簡介
This book is concerned with those foundational questions inelementary algebra, calculus and geometry, that are almostalways left unanswered in undergraduate courses in thesesubjects. Among the topics considered are non-standardanalysis, the relationship between classical geometrictheorems (such as those of Pascal and Desargues) and fieldaxioms, questions of decidability, and combinatorial logic.An attractive feature is the case given to the historicalcontext in which foundational questions have arisen, and tothe early attempts made to resolve them.From the ZENTRALBLATT review of the German edition:"It isone of those rare books which give you freedom andfantasy to reconsider themost common concepts ofmathematics...The book explains carefully, using motivatingexamples and sometimes quite original proofs, thedevelopmentof crucial ideas in important branches ofmathematics. It is a pleasure to read it."
