Calculus Gems: Brief Lives and Memorable Mathematics

Calculus Gems: Brief Lives and Memorable Mathematics
ISBN-10
0883855615
ISBN-13
9780883855614
Category
Mathematics
Pages
386
Language
English
Published
2007-08-02
Publisher
MAA
Author
George F. Simmons

Description

The classic book - back in print! The first half of Calculus Gems is a biographical history of mathematics from the earliest times to the late nineteenth century. The author shows how science - and mathematics in particular - is something that people do, and not merely a mass of observed data and abstract theory. He demonstrates the profound connections that join mathematics to the history of philosophy and also to the broader intellectual and social history of Western civilization. The second half contains nuggets that Simmons has collected from number theory, geometry, science, etc., which he has used in his mathematics classes, meaning that it can be used as a supplement in a Calculus course, or a History of Mathematics course. The overall aim of this book is to answer the question, 'What is mathematics for?' and with its inevitable answer, 'To delight the mind and help us understand the world.'

Other editions

Similar books