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Surreal Numbers (writing the first book) - Numberphile

Numberphile · interview · Watch on YouTube

Recreational & visual mathTech pioneers & interviews

What it is

A Numberphile interview with Donald Knuth about how he came to write the first book on surreal numbers after a lunch with John Conway. He tells the story casually in about 14 minutes.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Recommended as a short, charming introduction to surreal numbers and to how Knuth wrote his book in under a week.

  • 3 people recommended it
  • 2 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2022

What HN commenters said

  1. “This interview is excellent”

    Interview where Knuth describes writing the surreal numbers book in under a week.

    knuthsat, 2021-06 · Strong recommendation · in “Surreal Numbers – An Introduction (2019) [pdf]”

  2. “This may be more to your taste.”

    Alternative gentler intro to surreal numbers for those put off by the book's style.

    maxbond, 2021-06 · Recommendation · in “Surreal Numbers – An Introduction (2019) [pdf]”

  3. “(15m video starring Don Knuth)”

    A 15 minute introduction to surreal numbers starring Don Knuth.

    AndrewOMartin, 2022-12 · Recommendation · in “The Pirahã Are Off by One (2020)”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: donald knuth, john conway, surreal numbers, numberphile, mathematics history

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