This book offers a short and accessible account of the history of mathematics, written for the intelligent layman to gain a better appreciation of its beauty, relevance, and place in history. It traces the development of the subject throughout the centuries, starting with the so-called Lebombo bone, the oldest known mathematical object that was estimated to be at least 43,000 years old, and ending with the 21st century.The presentation is informal, and no prior knowledge of mathematics is needed to enjoy the systematic chronological insights. A collection of appendices is included for more technical material — though still at the level of secondary school mathematics — and is concerned with the historically important proofs and concepts that can be explained in a simple way.

When do the hands of a clock coincide? How likely is it that two children in the same class will share a birthday? Should you play Roulette or the Lottery? How do we calculate the volume of a doughnut? Why does the android Data in Star Trek lose at poker? What is Fibonacci's Rabbit Problem? Many things in the world have a mathematical side to them, as revealed by the puzzles and questions in this book. It is written for anyone who is curious about mathematics and would like a simple and entertaining account of what it can do. Peter Higgins provides clear explanations of the more mysterious features of childhood mathematics as well as novelties and connections to prove that mathematics can be enjoyable and full of surprises.

Mathematics opens new doors to the amazing world of maths. Telling the exciting story from a historical perspective, it shows how mathematical science advanced through the discoveries of the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians and Greeks, the great scholars of medieval Islam and Europe, and the Renaissance and the birth of the Scientific Revolution. From the simplest concepts of numbers and arithmetic, geometry and algebra, trigonometry and calculus, right through to infinity and chaos theory, Mathematics introduces and explains the most important concepts in accessible, non-technical language.

This book offers an innovative introduction to the psychological basis of mathematics and the nature of mathematical thinking and learning, using an approach that empowers students by fostering their own construction of mathematical structures. Through accessible and engaging writing, award-winning mathematician and educator Anderson Norton reframes mathematics as something that exists first in the minds of students, rather than something that exists first in a textbook. By exploring the psychological basis for mathematics at every level—including geometry, algebra, calculus, complex analysis, and more—Norton unlocks students’ personal power to construct mathematical objects based on their own mental activity and illustrates the power of mathematics in organizing the world as we know it. Including reflections and activities designed to inspire awareness of the mental actions and processes coordinated in practicing mathematics, the book is geared toward current and future secondary and elementary mathematics teachers who will empower the next generation of mathematicians and STEM majors. Those interested in the history and philosophy that underpins mathematics will also benefit from this book, as well as those informed and curious minds attentive to the human experience more generally.

Collection of miscellaneous facts and anecdotes from mathematicians.

Because learning the language of mathematics can be daunting, many people abandon the attempt as soon as they leave school, missing out on the beauty and mystery of the Empress of the Sciences. Now, Joel Levy opens new doors into this amazing world. By taking a historical perspective, he explains how mathematical science advanced through the ages, introducing the most important concepts--from simple arithmetic, through algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus, up to chaos and infinity theory--in understandable, nontechnical language.

A compelling and readable book that situates mathematics in human experience and history.

This new edition brings the fascinating and intriguing history of mathematics to life The Second Edition of this internationally acclaimed text has been thoroughly revised, updated, and reorganized to give readers a fresh perspective on the evolution of mathematics. Written by one of the world's leading experts on the history of mathematics, the book details the key historical developments in the field, providing an understanding and appreciation of how mathematics influences today's science, art, music, literature, and society. In the first edition, each chapter was devoted to a single culture. This Second Edition is organized by subject matter: a general survey of mathematics in many cultures, arithmetic, geometry, algebra, analysis, and mathematical inference. This new organization enables students to focus on one complete topic and, at the same time, compare how different cultures approached each topic. Many new photographs and diagrams have been added to this edition to enhance the presentation. The text is divided into seven parts: The World of Mathematics and the Mathematics of the World, including the origin and prehistory of mathematics, cultural surveys, and women mathematicians Numbers, including counting, calculation, ancient number theory, and numbers and number theory in modern mathematics Color Plates, illustrating the impact of mathematics on civilizations from Egypt to Japan to Mexico to modern Europe Space, including measurement, Euclidean geometry, post-Euclidean geometry, and modern geometrics Algebra, including problems leading to algebra, equations and methods, and modern algebra Analysis, including the calculus, real, and complex analysis Mathematical Inference, including probability and statistics, and logic and set theory As readers progress through the text, they learn about the evolution of each topic, how different cultures devised their own solutions, and how these solutions enabled the cultures to develop and progress. In addition, readers will meet some of the greatest mathematicians of the ages, who helped lay the groundwork for today's science and technology. The book's lively approach makes it appropriate for anyone interested in learning how the field of mathematics came to be what it is today. It can also serve as a textbook for undergraduate or graduate-level courses. An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available upon request from the Wiley editorial department.

Where did math come from? Who thought up all those algebra symbols, and why? What is the story behind π π? … negative numbers? … the metric system? … quadratic equations? … sine and cosine? … logs? The 30 independent historical sketches in Math through the Ages answer these questions and many others in an informal, easygoing style that is accessible to teachers, students, and anyone who is curious about the history of mathematical ideas. Each sketch includes Questions and Projects to help you learn more about its topic and to see how the main ideas fit into the bigger picture of history. The 30 short stories are preceded by a 58-page bird's-eye overview of the entire panorama of mathematical history, a whirlwind tour of the most important people, events, and trends that shaped the mathematics we know today. “What to Read Next” and reading suggestions after each sketch provide starting points for readers who want to learn more. This book is ideal for a broad spectrum of audiences, including students in history of mathematics courses at the late high school or early college level, pre-service and in-service teachers, and anyone who just wants to know a little more about the origins of mathematics.

This lucid and captivating book takes the reader back to the early history of all the sciences, starting from antiquity and ending roughly at the time of Newton — covering the period which can legitimately be called the “dawn” of the sciences. Each of the 24 chapters focuses on a particular and significant development in the evolution of science, and is connected in a coherent way to the others to yield a smooth, continuous narrative. The at-a-glance diagrams showing the “When” and “Where” give a brief summary of what was happening at the time, thereby providing the broader context of the scientific events highlighted in that chapter. Embellished with colourful photographs and illustrations, and “boxed” highlights scattered throughout the text, this book is a must-read for everyone interested in the history of science, and how it shaped our world today.