Download PDF The Advent of the Algorithm: The 300-Year Journey from an Idea to the Computer
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The Advent of the Algorithm: The 300-Year Journey from an Idea to the Computer
Download PDF The Advent of the Algorithm: The 300-Year Journey from an Idea to the Computer
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Review
Praise for The Advent of the Algorithm"Berlinski has composed energetic, intertwined tales that make it nearly impossible for readers, once drawn in, to lose interest. . . . An uncommon achievement of both style and substance."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A tour de force, this book gives intellectual dilemmas a human face, while restoring grandeur and mystery to a universe still too richly intricate to fit within a computer protocol."-Booklist (starred review)"An extraordinary book . . . Making simple and accessible that which had previously been murky and intimidating is Berlinski's specialty."-Chicago Tribune
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About the Author
David Berlinski is the author of three novels and four works of nonfiction, including the bestselling A Tour of the Calculus. Berlinski received his Ph.D. from Princeton University and is a regular contributor to Commentary and Forbes ASAP. He lives in Paris.
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Product details
Paperback: 372 pages
Publisher: Harvest; First edition (May 3, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0156013916
ISBN-13: 978-0156013918
Product Dimensions:
5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
3.4 out of 5 stars
46 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#910,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
At his best, Berlinsky writes knowledgeably and beautifully about about the abstract worlds of science and mathematicas; and the history (and biography) os scientific thinking and accomplishment. After a while, you learn to skip-over the the tedious, self-indulgent, passages.that detract from the power of stgriking images.
This book has proven to be a worthy read, especially in view of the mass appeal of artificial intelligence, and its possible over-reach in today's society.
I admire an author's clever use of words as much as anyone, but there is undoubtedly a point where the clever use of words becomes "mannerism:" the author calls attention to HIMSELF instead of his subject matter.This book fails miserably here. Berlinski seems much more concerned about drawing attention to himself as "the brilliant writer" than about explaining his subject matter with clarity.After all, where did the algorithm come from? A major source may have been cook-books, getting a major boost from Charles Babbage, the symbolic logic of Frege, and finally Turing and the actual realization of the computer.Not recommended.
UPGRADE to 2 1/2 stars. Wordy discussion of historical figures with some relation to algorithms. Little information about any actual algorithms. I retract my previous review (1 star) because that regarded this book as an algorithms book, but it is more of a general interest book that I probably would have liked when I was in highschool.
David Berlinski, like God, is under-appreciated. He is too subtle, too wonderful, and mostly beyond us.
ALGORITHM is a concept Berlinski relates well. Book arrived just as described.
Having just read this book, I was ordering two others of Berlinski's. I noted the online reviews for this one (Algorithm) and was susprised at the number of negatives. I greatly enjoyed this book. Sure, there are parts that are a bit technical (only if you want to try to follow the few places where there are formulas). But, the core idea was soundly presented with a wonderful display of historical sequencing (more than a little bit appropriate given the importance of Turing's concepts here).The part that impressed me most was where he contrasts the analytical proof of a differential equation (and such) at the limit (out to infinitity) with the very human, grinding ability of simple (or complex) algorithms--and how the very idea of them was both everywhere in creation and only quite recently understood by humans (despite always having been used). In essence, algorithms allow human, finite minds to work out solutions that approach the inifinite.As for the "overwrought" nature of the book noted by others. Yes, good critique. However, that's the very thing that made it most interesting. This was not a college professor dryly building a mass of knowledge on a chalkboard in front of a class. Far more like a chap (rather smart one) in a bar having some beers with you, talking about the core of thought, logic, and math in the universe.I am not a mathematician or a logician (do have a Ph.D. in psychology and am active in social science), but I found the core idea not that hard to get. He came at it from four major directions in line with the four major ways key thinkers "got there" in the past century.I highly recommend this book if you like history of science, thinking about how it all works, and prefer doing such thought/work inthe context of a relaxed talk with friends who like to think.
First, symbolic logic is not an easy subject and requires attention to detail. Second, Berlinski's discursive style can require the reader to be accomodating and patient. Some may abandon Berlinski in frustration. But others will discover that Berlinski has created a rather unique work.It is easy to be disoriented by Berlinski's eclectic mix of fiction, biography, essays, and mathematics. I would hunker down for some serious math, but be sidetracked to an unfamiliar Greek fable. Just as quickly I was being introduced - with surprising clarity - to propositional calculus, truth tables, and tautologies. Another sidetrack and I was privy to the delusional thoughts of some stranger.At this point I fortuitously observed fine print on the copyright page: "This is a work of scholarship. The author has woven stories, involving imagined people and incidents into the text, the better to enable the reader to enjoy the technical discussions. Or to endure them." I relaxed and accepted that while my road might be a bit bumpy, I now had some understanding of Berlinski's itinerary.I particularly valued the short biographies of the mathematicians and logicians that played key roles in developing symbolic logic and its protege, the algorithm. My attitude was more mixed regarding the playful stories (pure fiction) "woven"into the text. Although some shed light on the technical discussions from unexpected perspectives,I found other stories to be more distracting than helpful.Notwithstanding the occasional flights of fancy, "The Advent of the Algorithm" is indeed "a work of scholarship". Clarity characterizes most technical sections, but careful reading is still necessary. The technical sections include:categorical syllogism (pg. 9-11) and Peano's axioms for arithmetic (pg. 32-35) - 4 stars.propositional calculus plus truth tables (pg 50-59) - 5 stars,predicate calculus (pg. 65-68, 71-80, 94-95) - 5 stars,Frege's "Foundations of Arithmetic" plus Russell's paradox (pg. 91-93) - 5 stars,"Principia Mathematica" plus Hilbert's program (pg. 96-100, 105-108, 112-114) - 5 stars,formal arithmetic (pg. 109-111) - 4 stars,Godel's Proof and recursion (pg. 116-129, 136-141, 143-145) - 5 stars,the calculus of lambda conversion (pg. 162-179) - 3 stars,Turing machine (pg. 181-192) - 4 stars,thermodynaymics (pg. 226-234, 238-248) - 3.5 stars,and the final three chapters (13-15) on neural networks, DNA coding, and complexity - 5 stars.I bogged down on chapter 8, a discussion of Alonzo Church's calculus of lambda conversion. Even after some study, I was still not comfortable. I began with no knowledge of lambda calculus; I ended with only a partial understanding. Fortunately, a detailed understanding is not critical to the remaining chapters.The final three chapters are especially interesting. Berlinski's examination of the question, "Why does complexity exist within a universe characterized by simple physical laws?", was fascinating and insightful.Should you buy this book? I think not, if you are looking for a typical book on mathematics for the layman. "The Advent of the Algorithm " requires attention to detail and persistence.However, a persistent reader, one willing to invest time and effort to gain an understanding of symbolic logic, should give Berlinski's book a try. His interests may not always coincide with yours, but the tour will be memorable. Berlinski has created a unique book about a difficult subject. Substantial sections clearly deserve five stars. I give it four stars overall.
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