Other Books Like This One
The Infinite According to Master Wu offers a study of the Infinite with a threefold emphasis:- Modern mathematics. In the book, Dr. Wu discusses the "field" of mathematical infinity from the early days of Cantor through one of the frontiers of contemporary research.
- Insights from the ancients. Dr. Wu also brings to light perspectives from the ancient sages -- particularly from the Vedic and Taoist traditions -- which parallel the principles and dynamics of the mathematics.
- Invitation to direct experience. In discussions of the ancient wisdom, Dr. Wu brings the focus back to personal experience of these deeper realities.
There are many other books on the market today that emphasize one of these facets of the subject, and a few others that discuss two of the three listed above.
Popular Treatments of "Pre-Cantorian" Infinity
These books introduce some aspects of the history and philosophy of mathematical infinity in an accessible way but do not connect these ideas with mystical notions of the Infinite. None of the books in this category discusses infinities bigger than the set of natural numbers; therefore, these studies, from the point of view of mathematical research in the infinite, can be described as "pre-Cantorian", since Cantor's work showed there are other sizes of infinity. However, this classification is not intended as derogatory in any way; some Pulitzer-Prize-winning works fall under this category. Many of these books describe fascinating connections between mathematics and other fields, such as art and music.
Popular Treatments Including Cantor's Transfinite Cardinals
These books go more deeply into aspects of the early history of mathematical infinity, but not beyond Cantor's work (for instance, large cardinals are not mentioned).
Deeper Studies of the Mathematical and Mystical Views of the Infinite
These books explore topics about the mathematical infinite from both the Cantorian era and from contemporary studies, including large cardinals. They also discuss interesting connections to various forms of ancient wisdom.
Popular Mathematics and the Ancient Wisdom
These books illustrate deep connections between mathematics and the vision of the ancients. The books listed here do not discuss the mathematical
infinite beyond the very smallest infinities. The list contains mostly books on Sacred Geometry; this emphasis reflects the situation in the market
as well: Sacred Geometry has so far been the primary mathematical area to be studied with a view to connections with the ancient texts.
New Age Physics
These books develop the idea that many of the discoveries of modern quantum theories parallel insights from the ancient wisdom of many traditions.
There are literally hundreds of books in this genre; the list given here is just a small sample. Readers who are inspired by the connection between frontiers
of physics and the vision of the ancient sages about reality tend to appreciate the connections between the frontier of mathematics and the wisdom of
the sages too.