Understanding the Infinite

Shaughan Lavine9780674921177, 0674921178

How can the infinite, a subject so remote from our finite experience, be an everyday tool for the working of a mathematician? Blending history, philosophy, mathematics, and logic, the author seeks to answers this question. Making use of the mathematical work of Jan Mycielski, he demonstrates that knowledge of the infinite is possible, even according to strict standards that require some intuitive basis for knowledge.