Principia Mathematica: Russell's Insightful Collaboration - Available Online?

[MathematicalPhysicist]

i read i think in russell's "problems in philosophy" that his book (that he wrote with witehead) were read by a handful of people, i wonder if anyone here read this mass, and is it availabale in the web?

 

[HallsofIvy]

I have read parts of it- the whole thing would be far too much! Principia Mathematica was an attempt (not entirely sucessful) to derive mathematics from the most fundamental concepts of logic. About half-way through the book they have finally produced enough concepts to define the natural numbers- and then requires several pages to prove that 2+ 2= 4! It's worth a look just for the "awe" value, but unless you are a professor of symbolic logic, I would not recommend buying it or trying to read the whole thing.

 

[mathwonk]

i recommend reading finnegan's wake first.

 

[Treadstone 71]

There's a copy at my university, so I picked it up and read parts of it. It is a horrible, horrible mess.

 

[masudr]

You might be interested in http://de.metamath.org/mpegif/mmset.html

 

[rhj23]

There's a copy at my university

there's THE copy of it at my university

 

[Cexy]

there's THE copy of it at my university

All bragging rights are null and void unless you've actually tried to read the damn thing. Since I know that you haven't, you are not allowed to boast. ;)

 

[Noesis]

I have read parts of it- the whole thing would be far too much! Principia Mathematica was an attempt (not entirely sucessful) to derive mathematics from the most fundamental concepts of logic. About half-way through the book they have finally produced enough concepts to define the natural numbers- and then requires several pages to prove that 2+ 2= 4! It's worth a look just for the "awe" value, but unless you are a professor of symbolic logic, I would not recommend buying it or trying to read the whole thing.

That is amazingly badass.

^Probably one of the few places in the world I can say this and have people either agree with me or not give it a second thought.

 

[scott1]

Try learning latin and then read it. It might be easier to read.

 

[HallsofIvy]

Try learning latin and then read it. It might be easier to read.

Learning mathematics and symbolic logic first would be better. While the title "Principia Mathematica" is Latin, the book itself was written in English. (Well, what's in between all the symbo's is English!)

It occurs to me that you may be thinking of Newton's Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. The very first post made it clear that the poster was talking about Russell and Whitehead's "Principia Mathematica".