The Fourth Dimension Simply Explained

The 22 essays collected in this volume use a minimum of mathematics to explain aspects of one of the great advances in mathematics and science: the conception and development of a geometry based on four dimensions. Originally written as entries in a contest sponsored by Scientific American, these essays were found to be so excellently thought out and lucidly written that it was decided to publish them in permanent form. In them the reader with little mathematical background will find, perhaps for the first time, easily understood explanations of such topics as how the fourth dimension should be studied, the relationship of non-Euclidean geometry to the fourth dimension, analogues to 3-dimensional space, some 4-dimensional absurdities and curiosities, possible measurements and forms in the fourth dimension, and, in general, a thorough coverage of many of the simpler properties of 4-dimensional space. Since each essay is independently conceived, the writers all bring fresh viewpoints and original examples to bear on their subjects. 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 in helping the reader visualize these abstruse but fascinating ideas. A further aid to the reader is the helpful introduction by Dr. Henry P. Manning, in which the points brought out in the essays are given their rightful emphasis and also extended to provide a more complete account of 4-dimensional geometry. --- excerpt from book's back cover