By clicking “Accept,” you agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies on your device as set forth in our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy. Please note that certain cookies are essential for this website to function properly and do not require user consent to be deployed.
The Great Math War
How Three Brilliant Minds Fought for the Foundations of Mathematics
Contributors
Formats and Prices
Price
$32.00Price
$42.00 CADFormat
Format:
Hardcover $32.00 $42.00 CADAlso available from:
As the nineteenth century ended, mathematicians were celebrating a century of triumphs that—surprisingly—made clear how little they knew: What is the nature of infinity? Is math free from self-contradiction? And what does math have to do with reality? This was the Foundational Crisis in mathematics.
In The Great Math War, Jason Socrates Bardi tells the story of three competing efforts by mathematicians to resolve it—and the firefight that ensued. Bertrand Russell thought we could achieve certainty if we treated math as an extension of logic. David Hilbert believed redemption lay in accepting mathematics as a formal game of arbitrary rules, no different from the moves and pieces in chess. And L. E. J. Brouwer argued math is entirely rooted in human intuition—and that math is not based on logic but rather logic is based on math. It was a bitter struggle, intellectually and personally, as the three vied to set the course for mathematics in the twentieth century.
Set against the backdrop of international warfare unfolding alongside it, The Great Math War brings the Foundational Crisis to radiant life—and shows how it indelibly shaped twentieth-century intellectual life.
- On Sale
- Nov 4, 2025
- Page Count
- 384 pages
- Publisher
- Basic Books
- ISBN-13
- 9781541605008
You May Also Like
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
