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Georg Cantor (1845-1918), a tormented man with a genius for mathematics, revolutionized his field by introducing the concept of transfinite numbers (which allow one to quantify, and thus apply arithmetical operations to, the infinite) and the " sets " theory (upon which modern mathematical analysis is based, because it extended the concept of number by allowing all of the mathematician's elements to be treated as finite or infinite numbers). The author, in the hope of enticing readers to explore the beauty and greatness of a difficult work, describes the major stages in this revolution and relates the tragic life of a creator who died in a psychiatric hospital. He also explains, as clearly as possible, the essential concepts behind his theories. Cantor's work lies at the core of a period of a mathematics restoration movement that extended from Bolzano and Weierstrass to Hilbert and Gödel. It is part of a distinguished Western philosophic tradition stretching from Plato and Aristotle to Pascal, Spinoza, and Leibnitz, and also addresses theological concerns.Jean-Pierre Belna, holder of a Doctor of Philosophy degree and a Master of Science degree in Mathematics, lectures on epistemology at various schools of engineering.
