Specifications
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN 13 | 9780198539506 |
| ISBN 10 | 198539509 |
| Book Description | This book is an extended history of mathematics that places mathematical development firmly in its historical context. Each section begins with a description of the geography and history of the country considered. From there, lively retelling of the creation myths and legends leads on to a description of how its people wrote and counted. This is followed by relevant mathematical material. The book covers; * The geometry of stone circles in Europe * The area of triangles and volume of pyramids that concerned the engineers of the Pharoahs * The Babylonian sexagesimal number system and our present measures of space and time which grew out of it * The use of the abacus and remainder theory in China * Greek mathematics from Pythagoras to Pappus. Detailed accounts of the work of apollonius and Archimedes are given. * The invention of trigonometry by Arab mathematicians * The solution of quadratic equations by completing the square developed in India Each chapter has a mathematical case study which is discussed both in the context of thetimes and in th light of more recent developments. Worked examples are also included. "The author has woven together a broad historical backgrounding and some fairly detailed but accessible mathematics in amost exciting way." John Fauvel, author of Let Newton Be! |
| Editorial Review | The author has woven together a broad historical backgrounding and some farily detailed but accessible mathematics in a most exciting way. * John Fauvel, co-author of Let Newton Be! * |
| About the Author | Alistair Wilson has worked as an astrophysicist for NASA, lectured in physics at Curtin University, Western Australia, and is currently a freelance writer and teacher living in Perth. |
| Language | English |
| Author | Alistair MacIntosh Wilson |
| Publication Date | 18 Jan 1996 |
| Number of Pages | 538 |
The Infinite In The Finite hardcover english - 18 Jan 1996
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