The roots of science -- An ancient theorem and a modern question -- Kinds of numbers in the physical world -- Magical complex numbers -- Geometry of logarithms, powers, and roots -- Real-number calculus -- Complex-number calculus -- Riemann surfaces and compex mappings -- Fourier decomposition and hyperfunctions -- Surfaces -- Hypercomplex numbers -- Manifolds of n dimensions -- Symmetry groups -- Calculus on manifolds -- Fibre bundles and gauge connections -- The ladder of infinity -- Spacetime -- Minkowskian geometry -- The classical fields of Maxwell and Einstein -- Lagrangians and Hamiltonians -- The quantum particle -- Quantum algebra, geometry and spin -- The entangled quantum world -- Dirac's electron and antiparticles -- The standard model of particle physics -- Quantum field theory -- The Big Bang and its thermodynamic legacy -- Speculative theories of the early universe -- The measurement paradox -- Gravity's role in quantum state reduction -- Supersymmetry, supra-dimensionality, and strings -- Einstein's narrower path; loop variables -- More radical perspectives; twistor theory -- Where lies the road to reality? The roots of science -- An ancient theorem and a modern question -- Kinds of number in the physical world -- Magical complex numbers -- Geometry of logarithms, powers, and roots -- Real-number calculus -- Complex-number calculus -- Riemann surfaces and complex mappings -- Fourier decomposition and hyperfunctions -- Surfaces -- Hypercomplex numbers -- Manifolds of n dimensions -- Symmetry groups -- Calculus on manifolds -- Fibre bundles and guage connections -- The ladder of infinity -- Spacetime -- Minkowskian geometry -- The classical fields of Maxwell and Einstein -- Lagrangians and Hamiltonians -- The quantum particle -- Quantum algebra, geometry, and spin -- The entangled quantum world -- Dirac's electron and antiparticles -- The standard model of particle physics -- Quantum field theory -- The Big Bang and its thermodynamic legacy -- 28. Speculative theories of the early universe -- The measurement paradox -- 30. Gravity's role in quantum state reduction -- 31. Supersymmetry, supra-dimensionality, and strings -- 32 Einstein's narrower path: loop variables -- More radical perspectives; twistor theory -- Where lies the road to reality? 1. The roots of science -- 2. An ancient theorem and a modern question -- 3. Kinds of number in the physical world -- 4. Magical complex numbers -- 5. Geometry of logarithms, powers, and roots -- 6. Real-number calculus -- 7. Complex-number calculus -- 8. Riemann surfaces and complex mappings -- 9. Fourier decomposition and hyperfunctions -- 10. Surfaces -- 11. Hypercomplex numbers -- 12. Manifolds of n dimensions -- 13. Symmetry groups -- 14. Calculus on manifolds -- 15. Fibre bundles and gauge connections -- 16. The ladder of infinity -- 17. Spacetime -- 18. Minkowskian geometry -- 19. The classical fields of Maxwell and Einstein -- 20. Lagrangians and Hamiltonians -- 21. The quantum particle -- 22. Quantum algebra, geometry, and spin -- 23. The entangled quantum world -- 24. Dirac's electron and antiparticles -- 25. The standard model of particle physics -- 26. Quantum field theory -- 27. The Big Bang and its thermodynamic legacy -- 28. Speculative theories of the early universe -- 29. The measurement paradox -- 30. Gravity's role in quantum state reduction -- 31. Supersymmetry, supra-dimensionality, and strings -- 32. Einstein's narrower path; loop variables -- 33. More radical perspectives; twistor theory -- 34. Where lies the road to reality?

The Road to Reality is the most important and ambitious work of science for a generation. It provides nothing less than a comprehensive account of the physical universe and the essentials of its underlying mathematical theory. It assumes no particular specialist knowledge on the part of the reader, so that, for example, the early chapters give us the vital mathematical background to the physical theories explored later in the book. Roger Penrose's purpose is to describe as clearly as possible our present understanding of the universe and to convey a feeling for its deep beauty and philosophical implications, as well as its intricate logical interconnections. The Road to Reality is rarely less than challenging, but the book is leavened by vivid descriptive passages, as well as hundreds of hand-drawn diagrams. In a single work of colossal scope one of the world's greatest scientists has given us a complete and unrivalled guide to the glories of the universe that we all inhabit.