A Certain Ambiguity Book Review

            A Certain Ambiguity is a mathematical novel written by Gaurav Suri & Hartosh Singh Bal that costs approximately 27.95 US dollars published by Princeton University Press. The book was written by authors in order to express beauty of mathematics. Being human beings who can feel the beauty and immediacy of philosophical questions, the authors used a story for human beings to get the picture. In this book, the world of fiction in mathematics was eclipsed with the world we are in. The book covers what it means to face the extremes and limitations of human knowledge.

            Chapter 1 portrayed a good scenario as an introduction to mathematics. I myself got interested in the mathematical problems asked and also got amazed upon knowing the answers. Personally, I also get the same feelings with Ravi in regards to being interested about these mathematics. It’s amazing actually to see Ravi being so inspired in involving himself in mathematics thru his grandfather. It can be seen that the more he delve in it, the more he is inspired to do and know more about it. After the death of his grandfather, he came investigate newspaper clippings and court transcripts figuring out that he was experiencing the same events his grandfather also used to. It’s like Ravi was a repeat history.

            After Ravi was accepted in Stanford, he was starting to be inclined to economics at the same time been thinking about infinity. Nico had lectures presenting math topics that involves much about infinity. Ravi’s grandfather’s imprisonment was a key in producing transcripts of philosophical discussions on truth, certainty and mathematics that his grandfather was into.

            Ravi and his grandfather faced the same struggle about absolute certainty in mathematics or life. The two men reconsidered their respective fundamental beliefs and choices. The center of their stories upon their exploration of parallel developments and improvements of geometry and infinity having mathematics as difficult and fascinating like complex narrative and characters.