The History of Infinity ♾️
No, this is not about Thanos!
This is about a concept that is popular among Mathematicians, Scientists and Philosophers. I am pretty sure if any of them were here, they would agree with me when I describe infinity as the ultimate ‘I-don’t-know-what-you-are-but-I’m-pretty-sure-you’re-never-ending’ concept.
That guy up there is John Wallis, and he came up with the infinity symbol ‘♾️’ in 1655 in his book “Mathesis Universalis”, which he believed was a fundamental concept in mathematics and theology. The use of the infinity symbol was later adopted by other mathematicians and philosophers, and it has since become a widely recognized symbol for infinity in mathematics, science, and popular culture.
But it did not start with him.
Ancient cultures had various ideas about the nature of infinity. The ancient Indians and the Greeks did not define infinity in precise formalism as does modern mathematics, and instead approached infinity as a philosophical concept. – Wikipedia
Some of the earliest known references to infinity can be found in the works of ancient Greek philosophers such as Zeno of Elea and Pythagoras. Zeno of Elea proposed several paradoxes that dealt with the concept of infinity, such as the Achilles and the Tortoise paradox, which highlights the idea that an infinite sequence of events can never be completed. He believed that infinity is a paradoxical concept and that it is important for understanding the nature of motion and change. Pythagoras and his followers believed that the universe is made up of infinite numbers and that the concept of infinity is central to understanding the nature of the universe.
The ancient Greeks expressed infinity by the word apeiron, which had connotations of being unbounded, indefinite, undefined, and formless. – Britannica
In the Middle Ages, philosophers and theologians such as Thomas Aquinas and John Duns Scotus also wrote about the concept of infinity. In the 16th century, mathematician and philosopher Galileo Galilei wrote about the concept of infinity in his book “Two New Sciences”. This leads him into “Galileo’s paradox,” which is one of the defining properties of infinite sets.
Ellipsis (…) indicates an endless sequence of digits with no pattern.
In the 17th century, mathematicians began working with infinite series and infinitesimal quantities, but the true nature of infinity remained a mystery. As mathematicians delved deeper into the foundations of calculus, it was unclear if infinity could be considered as a number or magnitude. The concept of infinity was further developed by mathematicians such as John Wallis, who introduced the symbol ∞ to represent infinity, and mathematician and philosopher René Descartes, who wrote about the concept of infinity in his book “Meditations on First Philosophy.” He believed that infinity is a necessary concept for understanding the nature of God, and that the universe is infinite.
In the 18th century, mathematician and philosopher Georg Cantor developed the modern mathematical theory of infinity, which is now considered the foundation of modern set theory. Cantor’s work laid the foundations for the study of infinity in mathematics and set the stage for further developments in the field. considered the founder of set theory and one of the most influential mathematicians of the 19th century, he was the first to develop a rigorous mathematical theory of infinity and showed that different infinities can have different sizes. He believed that infinity is a fundamental concept in mathematics and set theory, and that it is important for understanding the nature of numbers and sets.
Throughout the 19th and 20th century, mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists have continued to study and refine the concept of infinity, leading to the development of various mathematical theories and the application of infinity in different fields such as physics, cosmology, and computer science.
What other notable scientists have to say about Infinity
Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking believed that the universe is finite, but unbounded and that the concept of infinity is not applicable to the physical world.
Isaac Newton and Euclid both believed that infinity is not a mathematical concept but a physical one, and that space and time are both infinite.
David Hilbert: German mathematician, believed that infinity is a mathematical concept and that it is important for understanding the nature of space and time. He proposed that infinity is a part of the foundations of mathematics.
In conclusion, the concept of infinity has been a subject of discussion and debate for centuries. From the ancient Greeks to modern-day mathematicians, philosophers and scientists, the idea of infinity has been explored and expanded upon. The works of Georg Cantor, John Wallis, and other mathematicians and scientists have greatly contributed to the mathematical and scientific understanding of infinity. The concept of infinity continues to be an important area of research and study, as it helps us to understand and describe the infinite nature of the universe and its phenomena.
