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To remove the contents of an egg without puncturing its shell or to drink the liquor in a bottle without removing the cork is clearly unthinkable -- or is it? Understanding the world of Einstein and curved space requires a logical conception of the fourth dimension.
This readable, informative volume provides an excellent introduction to that world, with 22 essays that employ a minimum of mathematics. Originally written for a contest sponsored by Scientific American, these essays are so well reasoned and lucidly written that they were judged to merit publication in book form. Their easily understood explanations cover such topics as how the fourth dimension may be studied, the relationship of non-Euclidean geometry to the fourth dimension, analogues to three-dimensional space, some four-dimensional absurdities and curiosities, possible measurements and forms in the fourth dimension, and extensive considerations of four-dimensional space's simpler properties.
Since each essay is independently conceived, all of the writers offer fresh viewpoints and original examples. Because of this, some of the most important principles relating to the fourth dimension are viewed from several different angles at once -- an invaluable aid to visualizing these abstruse but fascinating ideas. New Introduction by Thomas F. Banchoff, Brown University. 82 figures.