{"product_id":"the-unimaginable-mathematics-of-borges-library-of-babel-9780195334579","title":"The Unimaginable Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel","description":"\u003cp\u003e • Author(s): William Goldbloom Bloch\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher: Oxford University Press\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press\u003cbr\u003e • BISAC: General\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The Library of Babel\" is arguably Jorge Luis Borges' best known story--memorialized along with Borges on an Argentine postage stamp. Now, in \u003cem\u003eThe Unimaginable Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel\u003c\/em\u003e, William Goldbloom Bloch takes readers on a fascinating tour of the mathematical ideas hidden within one of the classic works of modern literature. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Written in the vein of Douglas R. Hofstadter's Pulitzer Prize-winning \u003cem\u003eG�del, Escher, Bach\u003c\/em\u003e, this original and imaginative book sheds light on one of Borges' most complex, richly layered works. Bloch begins each chapter with a mathematical idea--combinatorics, topology, geometry, information theory--followed by examples and illustrations that put flesh on the theoretical bones. In this way, he provides many fascinating insights into \u003cem\u003eBorges' Library\u003c\/em\u003e. He explains, for instance, a straightforward way to calculate how many books are in the Library--an easily notated but literally unimaginable number--and also shows that, if each book were the size of a grain of sand, the entire universe could only hold a fraction of the books in the Library. Indeed, if each book were the size of a proton, our universe would still not be big enough to hold anywhere near all the books. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Given Borges' well-known affection for mathematics, this exploration of the story through the eyes of a humanistic mathematician makes a unique and important contribution to the body of Borgesian criticism. Bloch not only illuminates one of the great short stories of modern literature but also exposes the reader--including those more inclined to the literary world--to many intriguing and entrancing mathematical ideas.","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47891760414871,"sku":"9780195334579","price":2688.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0666\/3471\/1191\/files\/9780195334579.webp?v=1781184733","url":"https:\/\/atlanticbooks.com\/products\/the-unimaginable-mathematics-of-borges-library-of-babel-9780195334579","provider":"Atlantic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}