Philosophy is written in that great book which continually lies open before us (I mean the Universe). But one cannot understand this book until one has learned to understand the language and to know the letters in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, and the letters are triangles, circles and other geometric figures. Without these means it is impossible for mankind to understand a single word; without these means there is only vain stumbling in a dark labyrinth.

Reader Tip. The reader might find some of this chapter to be “just boring math.” If you are eager to leap into the quantum world, we suggest reading the first two or three sections before moving on to Chapter 3. Return to Chapter 2 as a reference when needed (using the index and the table of contents of find specific topics).