Topic: The Story of Infinitesimals: A Conspiracy of Silence?
The hyperreals are an ordered field containing the real
numbers as well as infinitesimals and infinitely large
numbers. In some sense they have ALL the properties of
the real numbers. They have languished for 60 years,
spurned by most professionals. The situation recalls the
slow acceptance of other extensions of the concept of
number. I will construct the hyperreals, and say a few
words about doing geometry and topology with these guys.
Refreshments at 3:30 294 TMCB