“What is that thing which does not give itself, and which if it were to give itself would not exist? It is the infinite!” --Leonardo da Vinci
“`Space,’ it says, `is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.’” -- Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
What is infinity? It is a concept that you have played with since childhood, but can be mind-stretching, elusive and full of paradox. We will explore the infinitely large and the infinitesimally small through a gentle look at mathematics. Our investigation will include the sizes of infinity (isn’t there just one?), logical and geometric paradoxes, set theory, and the limit. We will look at a cultural history of the infinite including religion, philosophy, art, and cosmology. Students with an interest in mathematics, philosophy and/or logic are encouraged to enroll, but there is no prerequisite.