Significant Figures by John Fauvel

Significant Figures by John Fauvel

This is the story of the intellectual and social life of a community, and of its interactions with the wider world. For 800 years mathematics has been researched and studied at Oxford, and the subject and its teaching have undergone profound changes during that time. This highly readable and beautifully illustrated book reveals the richness and influence of Oxford's mathematical tradition and the fascinating characters who helped to shape it. The story begins with the founding of the university of Oxford and the establishing of the medieval curriculum, in which mathematics had an important role. The Black Death, the advent of printing, the founding of the university of Cambridge, and the Newtonian revolution all had a great influence on the later development of mathematics at Oxford. So too did many well-known figures: Robert Boyle, Christopher Wren, Edmond Halley, Benjamin Jowett, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, G. H. Hardy, to name but a few. Later chapters bring us to the twentieth century, and the book ends with some entertaining reminiscences by Sir Michael Atiyah of the thirty years he spent as an Oxford mathematician.

The book successfully combines good scholarship with attractive general presentationZentralblatt Math

About the Editors:
John Fauvel is Lecturer in Mathematics at The Open University.
Raymond Flood is Tutor in the Department of External Studies at the University of Oxford.
Michael Shortland is Director of Research in the Department of External Studies at the University of Oxford.
Robin Wilson is Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at The Open University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780198523093
ISBN 10	0198523092
Title	Significant Figures
Author	John Fauvel
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	2000-02-01
Number of pages	304
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable