Math through the Ages by William P Berlinghoff

Math through the Ages by William P Berlinghoff

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Zusammenfassung

Written in an informal and easy-going style, this book is accessible to students, teachers and anyone curious about the history of mathematical ideas. This second edition includes five new historical sketches to answer questions about the origins of mathematics and how it was shaped into the subject we know today.

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Math through the Ages by William P Berlinghoff

Where did math come from? Who thought up all those algebra symbols, and why? What is the story behind π? … negative numbers? … the metric system? … quadratic equations? … sine and cosine? … logs? Including five new independent historical sketches, each complete with added questions and projects, this second edition answers these questions and many others in an informal, easy-going style, accessible to teachers, students and anyone who is curious about the history of mathematical ideas. 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. The 'Books You Ought to Read' section and new bibliography also ensure that up-to-date starting points are provided for readers who want to pursue a topic further.
This is a beautiful and important book, a pleasure to read, in which the history recounted fully illuminates the mathematical ideas, and the ideas themselves are superbly explained: a wonderful accomplishment" - Barry Mazur, Harvard University

"Math through the Ages is a treasure, one of the best history of math books at its level ever written. Somehow, it manages to stay true to a surprisingly sophisticated story, while respecting the needs of its audience." - Glen van Brummelen, Quest University President (2012.14), Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics
William Berlinghoff was educated at the College of the Holy Cross, Boston College, and Wesleyan University, where he received his PhD in Mathematics. He began his teaching career at the College of St Rose in Albany, New York, was Professor of Mathematics at Southern Connecticut State University, and was Visiting Professor of Mathematics at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He regularly taught a mathematics course for liberal arts students that drew heavily on the historical development of the subject. He is the author or a co-author of several college texts for liberal arts mathematics, including A Mathematics Sampler (5th edition, 2001). He was also a Senior Writer for MATH Connections, a Standards-based secondary school core curriculum. Fernando Q. Gouvêa was educated at the University of Sao Paulo and at Harvard University, where he received his PhD in Mathematics. He is Carter Professor of Mathematics at Colby College, where he teaches, among other things, a course on the history of mathematics. He was a participant in the Institute for the History of Mathematics and its Use in Teaching, organized by the Mathematical Association of America. Fernando was the editor of MAA Focus from 1999 to 2010, and he is now editor of MAA Reviews and of the Carus Mathematical Monographs series. In addition to this book, he has written p-adic Numbers: An Introduction (2nd edition, 1997), A Guide to Groups, Rings, and Fields (2012) and several other books, research papers, and expository articles.
SKU Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13 9781939512123
ISBN 10 1939512123
Titel Math through the Ages
Autor William P Berlinghoff
Buchzustand Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart Hardback
Verlag Mathematical Association of America
Erscheinungsjahr 2016-02-25
Seitenanzahl 342
Hinweis auf dem Einband Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.
Hinweis Nicht verfügbar