The birth of mathematics : ancient times to 1300

by Michael J. Bradley

Paper Book, 2006

Status

Available

Call number

510.9

Genres

Nonfiction

Collection

Don

Publication

New York, NY : Chelsea House, c2006.

Description

The Pioneers in Mathematics set fills a void in the academic literature available on mathematicians and their discoveries by presenting moderate-length biographies, of approximately 3,000 words each, written for an audience of middle school and high school students. Coverage spans the entire history of mathematics, from ancient times through the present, and makes the mathematicians' lives and work relevant to the students' lives and schoolwork. Each book in the new five-volume set follows the lives of 10 mathematicians who lived during a specific historical period. Their stories represent the thousands of scholars who made significant mathematical discoveries that advanced the world's knowledge. Their achievements provide a glimpse into the lives and minds of some of the most important pioneers in mathematics. Mathematicians covered include: *Euclid of Alexandria (ca. 325 BCE-ca. 270 BCE) *Omar Khayyam (ca. 1048-ca. 1131) *François Viète (1540-1603) *Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) *Mary Fairfax Somerville (1780-1872) *Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) *David Hilbert (1862-1943) *Amalie Emmy Noether (1882-1935) *Stephen Hawking (1942-) *Sarah Flannery (1982-) *and many others.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member JosephMacAdam

The purpose of this book is to provide a history of mathematics up until 1300 and it achieves this goal. Although the book can be dry at points, does not contain many pictures and is printed in black in white, it is an excellent reference book. If a reader wanted to learn about Euclid, then this

would be an excellent book they can easily look him up in the Table of Contents and go read about him. My favorite part about this book is the further readings at the end of each chapter. Therefore, if the reader became interested in Pythagoras and wanted to learn more about him, they can find more books about him at the end of his chapter. This book contains an acceptable glossary with plenty of definitions and a rather large index that is alphabetically sorted. Although the author does not provide a bibliography or any sources, he does thank certain people in his acknowledgments that helped him write the book.

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