The Annotated Flatland: A Romance of Many

Flatland is a unique, delightful satire that has charmed readers for over a century. Published in 1884 by the English clergyman and headmaster Edwin A. Abbott, it is the fanciful tale of A. Square, a two-dimensional being who is whisked away by a mysterious visitor to The Land of Three Dimensions, an experience that forever alters his worldview. By contemplating the notion of dimensions beyond their own, Abbott's Victorian readers were exposed to the then-radical idea of a fourth dimension - preparing them for Einstein's spectacular theories of relativity
Like the original, Ian Stewart's commentary takes readers on a strange and wonderful journey. With clarity and wit, Stewart illuminates Abbott's numerous Victorian references, weaves in little known biographical information about Abbott and his intellectual circle - elucidating Abbott's remarkable connections to H. G. Wells and the mathematician George Boole - and traced the scientific evolution of geometric forms and dimensions.
In addition, Stewart provides an extensive bibliography of Abbott's work and that of Charles Howard Hinton, whose wild but ingenious speculations about the fourth dimension undoubtedly inspired Abbott's fable.

Ian Stewart is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick and is well known for his writing and broadcasting about mathematics for nonspecialists. He has written over 140 research papers on such subjects as symmetry in dynamics, pattern formation, chaos, and mathematical biology, as well as numerous popular books, including Letters to a Young Mathematician, Does God Play Dice?, What Shape Is a Snowflake?, Nature’s Numbers, The Annotated Flatland, and Flatterland. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001. He lives in Coventry, England.

Preface	p. ix
Introduction	p. xiii
The Annotated Flatland	p. 1
Introduction	p. 9
Preface to the Second and Revised Edition, 1884	p. 21
This World	p. 31
Of the Nature of Flatland	p. 33
Of the Climate and Houses in Flatland	p. 38
Concerning the Inhabitants of Flatland	p. 43
Concerning the Women	p. 49
Of our Methods of Recognizing one another	p. 57
Of Recognition by Sight	p. 65
Concerning Irregular Figures	p. 73
Of the Ancient Practice of Painting	p. 79
Of the Universal Colour Bill	p. 84
Of the Suppression of the Chromatic Sedition	p. 90
Concerning our Priests	p. 97
Of the Doctrine of our Priests	p. 101
Other Worlds	p. 111
How I had a Vision of Lineland	p. 113
How I vainly tried to explain the nature of Flatland	p. 121
Concerning a Stranger from Spaceland	p. 129
How the Stranger vainly endeavoured to reveal to me in words the mysteries of Spaceland	p. 136
How the Sphere, having in vain tried words, resorted to deeds	p. 149
How I came to Spaceland, and what I saw there	p. 155
How, though the Sphere shewed me other mysteries of Spaceland, I still desired more; and what came of it	p. 164
How the Sphere encouraged me in a Vision	p. 181
How I tried to teach the Theory of Three Dimensions to my Grandson, and with what success	p. 187
How I then tried to diffuse the Theory of Three Dimensions by other means, and of the result	p. 191
The Fourth Dimension in Mathematics	p. 203
Bibliography of Edwin Abbott Abbott	p. 231
Bibliography of Charles Howard Hinton	p. 235
Sources and References	p. 237
Further Reading	p. 239
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

The Annotated Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials