I'm learning about physics from a very large book!
Why oh why does a topologist give a pig's ear about physics? Well, topology is a sort of geometry, and, in the words of Sir Michael Atiyah, "In recent years there has been a remarkable renaissance in the relation between Geometry and Physics." This is what led me a couple of months ago to read The Road To Reality by Roger Penrose. This is a dirty great book about all of phyiscs whose 1000+ pages I mindlessly ploughed through, skipping the big words as I went.
Well now I have to try to understand an actual bit of topology that was inspired by phyiscs, and so in order to get to grips with it I have obtained this enormous book from the library. See how huge it is! The smurf is just for scale. I really don't think I'll get very far with it, but who knows...
Apologies for the shortage of activity here. I have my excuses! The strange reading / not reading business with Middlesex was because I never actually started it! In fact there was probably a solid month where I didn't read anything interesting because I was too busy getting my maths wrong. I'll definitely read it next.
Finally, have any of you seen famous people in the Edinburgh streets yet? I have one underwhelming sighting so far, of funny-ish Frankie Boyle off of Mock the Week.
posted by Richard @ 3:44 PM
13 comments
13 Comments:
The size of the book doesn't matter, it's how you use it.
"The Road to Reality" - my Dad was asking me about this the other day. Any good?
It is good if you can stomach the 15 `introductory' chapters that are purely about mathematics! I think it's unapologetically mathematical, but maybe it's still worth a try if you don't know the maths already.
Andrew, stop lurking and get a-bloggin' on your own space!
yep yep that poem is from rapture! and i'm pretty impressed you've got it!
at this very moment i'm feeling slightly unwell on my right shoulder and neck...
and i want to escape from my work...so jealous that our wrenny friend is on holiday...
*lurks*
See you next week!
Dear 3.14159, I know that size doesn't matter, but this book is so huge that I just can't help being impressed ....
Cork it, Hawking! Nobody wants to read your book because it's a big sack of pish! Just one equation, ooh you're so accessible. Git.
The smurf looks a bit tired with its maths, hope you
don´t feel the same with your physics
E
Dear 3.14159...
Your comments are becoming increasingly erratic. Stop being so irrational and stick to being a number.
Richard, why have you chosen to use a smurf 'for scale' when you could just as easily have used the bananas we can see lurking eerily in shot. At least we all know what height a banana is. All we really know about the size of a smurf is based on their relation to Gargamel and his cat, but they could have been giants / midgets for all we know.
For a mathematician, I am surprised at the lack of precision you have demonstrated here.
Dear 22/7...
Transcendental numbers are never rational. As I always say, if you can't be rational, at least be constant!
Now then now then.
22/7, you little slag, get yer nickers back on and SHUT IT before we have to show you a real abuse of police powers.
As for you, 3.14159, we're watching you ...
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