CCAB S3 EP 13 Infinity and Beyond

Crimes, Conspiracies and Beyond

Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is usually denoted by the infinity symbol. Since the time of the #ancientGreeks the philosophical nature of #infinity was the subject of many discussions among philosophers. In the 17th century, with the introduction of the #infinitysymbol and the #infinitesimalcalculus, #mathematicians began to work with infinite series and what some mathematicians regarded as infinitely small quantities, but infinity continued to be associated with endless processes. As mathematicians struggled with the foundation of #calculus it remained unclear whether infinity could be considered as a number or magnitude and, if so, how this could be done. What is the Universe? Is it in infinite? We explore that and more.