The famous mathematical ratio, estimated to more than 22 trillion digits (and counting), is the perfect symbol for our species’ long effort to tame infinity. By Steven Strogatz This article, ...

In the Idea of Limits video, we introduce the idea of limits and discuss how it underpins all of the major concepts in calculus. In the Limit Laws video, we introduce the limit laws and discuss how to ...

Receive emails about upcoming NOVA programs and related content, as well as featured reporting about current events through a science lens. Reviel Netz: Something which is equal to some of its parts.

Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe Steven Strogatz Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2019) Midway through Infinite Powers, Steven Strogatz writes that Isaac Newton and ...

Calculus underpins many of the greatest ideas about how the universe works: Newton’s Laws, Maxwell’s Equations, quantum theory. It’s been used to develop ubiquitous technologies, like GPS. It was even ...

NOVA: How do mathematicians define infinity? Netz: Something which is equal to some of its parts. That's really the technical definition. NOVA: Is there a difference between the mathematical concept ...