My Wish Lists Login / Join

The Planiverse

Computer Contact with a Two-Dimensional World

By: A.K. Dewdney

Write A Review

Paperback | 1 November 2000

At a Glance

Paperback
280 Pages

Edition Type
New edition

Dimensions(cm)
23.39 x 15.6 x 1.5

Paperback

$59.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $15.00 with

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

A classic book about life in a two-dimensional universe, written by a well-known author. Now brought back into print in this revised and updated edition, the book is written within the great tradition of Abbott's Flatland, and Hinton's famous Sphereland. Accessible, imaginative, and clever, it will appeal to a wide array of readers, from serious mathematicians and computer scientists, to science fiction fans.

Industry Reviews

A conscious tribute to, and modern reinterpretation of, Edwin Abbott's famous 19th-century fantasy Flatland: science fiction, cast as non-fiction, exploring a theoretically possible but again hard-to-visualize two-dimensional universe. The scenario begins when Dewdney (a real-life computer-science prof) and his students construct, for didactic purposes, a computer program, "2DWORLD," which attempts to simulate the characteristics of two-dimensional space - i.e., a place that has no thickness, like a mathematical circle. Presently they are surprised to discover an unprogrammed intruder, Yendred, a citizen of the "real" two-dimensional planet Arde - who resembles an intelligent four-armed hydra with, naturally, all his internal organs visible. So the story, such as it is, follows Yendred among his fellow-Ardeans as he travels from one side of Arde's only continent to the other in search of knowledge. Arde boasts many fantastic constructions - lifeforms, houses, boats, steam engines, computers - based on reputable research into the characteristics of two-dimensional atoms, gravity fields, electromagnetic waves, etc. And these phenomena, in turn, give rise to a number of fairly obvious philosophical questions. (E.g., are we being observed by imperceptible four-dimensional beings?) In all: an ingenious intellectual exercise - amusing, edifying, sometimes tedious - for those curious about the oddly circumscribed two-dimensional universe and its even odder mechanics. (Kirkus Reviews)

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Mathematics Geometry Non-Euclidean Geometry Science Science in General Popular Science Physics Applied Physics Astrophysics Computing & I.T.Computer Science

Philosophy of Science Probability & Statistics

Intro: 2DWorld
Arde
A House by the Sea
On Fiddib Har
Walking to Is Felblt
City Below Ground
The Trek
The Punizlan Institute
Traveling on the Wind
High on Dahl Radam
Drabk the Sharak of Okbra
Higher Dimensions
Appendix
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

The Planiverse

Computer Contact with a Two-Dimensional World

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Computer Science

HBR's 10 Must Reads 2027

The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (featuring 'The Hidden Beliefs That Hold Leaders Back' by Muriel M. Wilkins)

God AI

Boom or Doom? What to Expect When Machines Outsmart Us

The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI

How to Think About Artificial Intelligence Before It's Too Late

Microsoft 365 Excel For Dummies

For Dummies (Computer/Tech)

Empire of AI

Inside the reckless race for total domination

If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies

The Case Against Superintelligent AI

Nexus

A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

Co-Existence

The Next Phase of AI

Claude For Dummies

The New Rules of AI Search

SEO for visibility in ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Generative Search

Medium Hot

Images in the Age of Heat

Co-Intelligence

Living and Working with AI

The Humanoid Economy

What Physical AI Means for Investment, Industry, and the Future of Work

Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

Concepts, Skills and Real World Application

Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

Concepts, Skills and Real World Application

Neuroscience and the Dream of Digital Immortality

The Upload Illusion

Neuroscience and the Dream of Digital Immortality

The Upload Illusion

Believe! The Winning Mindset for Project Managers

Believe! The Winning Mindset for Project Managers

Subsea Robotics

From Design to Deployment

AI for Human-Computer Interaction

AI for Everything

AI-Enabled Cyber Threats

The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Cybercrime

The Infinity Machine

Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and the Quest for Superintelligence

AI for Public Relations

A How-To Guide for Implementation and Management

This product is categorised by