I have no problem conceding that. Do you have anything I could read that might enlighten me on this?
Re:The Hilbert Hotel
by RiderOfGiraffes on Monday May 10, 2010 @07:50AM
(#1334121)
Oh, perfectly reasonable but rather tough question. My thinking about teaching infinity is now at odds both with everything I've read, and how I was taught. It also depends on your own inclinations, strengths and background.
Brian Clegg's book on infinity gets good reviews, but I haven't read it. I'm thinking of starting a blog series on it, but with everything else I have on I may never really get to it.
But as I say, in your specific case it really depends on your background. If you're really interested perhaps you could email me more details on what you've studied and what you've read, and I can write some brief articles by way of reply.
Because, in part, you can't have the one without the other. You can't talk about limits without having a model for infinity. They are inextricably entwined, each idea leading to the other.
It's sounds to me like you've simply been put off by loads of badly written Pop-Math articles that attempt to boggle and astound, without showing the real truths as to why the whole subject is really, really cool, and simultaneously, useful and practical.