The Mathematical Traveler: Exploring the Grand History of Numbers (Language of Science) - Softcover

Clawson, Calvin C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0306446456 ISBN 13: 9780306446450

Publisher: Springer, 1994

Synopsis

The story of numbers is a rich, sweeping history that shows how our mathematical achievements contributed to the greatest innovations of civilization. Calvin Clawson, acclaimed author of Conquering Math Phobia, weaves a story of numbers that spans thousands of years. As Clawson so clearly shows, numbers are not only an intrinsic and essential thread in our modern lives, but have always been an integral part of the human psyche - knit into the very fabric of our identity as humans. Clawson travels back through time to the roots of the history of numbers. In exploring early human fascination with numbers, he unearths the clay beads, knotted ropes, and tablets used by our ancestors as counting tools. He then investigates how numeric symbols and concepts developed uniquely and independently in Meso-America, China, and Egypt. As he persuasively argues, the mathematical concepts that arose and flourished in the ancient world enabled the creation of architectural masterpieces as well as the establishment of vast trade networks. Continuing the journey, Clawson brings us to the elegant logic of numbers that soon came to distinguish itself as a discipline and the language of science. From the concepts of infinity contemplated by the Greeks to the complex numbers that are indispensable to scientists on the cutting edge of research today, Clawson breathes life and meaning into the history of great mathematical mysteries and problems. In this spirit of inquiry, he explores, in their times and places, the discovery of numbers that lie outside the province of counting, including irrational numbers, transcendentals, complex numbers, and the enormous transfinite numbers. The personalities and the creative feats surrounding each mathematical invention come alive vividly in Clawson's lucid prose. In this work of breathtaking scope, Clawson guides us through the wonders of numbers and illustrates their monumental impact on civilization.

About this title

About the Author

Calvin C. Clawson is the author of The Mathematical Traveler and Conquering Math Phobia. He has published over two dozen short stories, and won an award from the National Writers Association for his novel The White Badger. A teacher of mathematics at Seattle Community College, he lives south of Issaquah, Washington.

From Booklist

The ability to use numbers is so basic to our existence that we rarely realize how sophisticated our number system is. It was not always so: early number systems were crude and cumbersome. Clawson takes us on a mathematical adventure that reveals the history of numbers as a reflection of the evolution of culture. He shows how this science was born out of necessity in agriculture and commerce, not out of virtue. As our technology progressed, so did our math, and from the Chinese, Mayans, and Greeks came new numerical concepts and increased abstractions. The views and discoveries of Pythagoras, Descartes, Gauss, and perhaps a dozen more heavy-hitters are discussed, with Clawson maintaining a sense of humor to keep it enjoyable. Even those with little knowledge of formal mathematics will find the first half of this book easy going; it gets a little sticky later, delving into irrational, infinite, and "really big" transfinite numbers. The text becomes pure philosophy at this point, but if the reader can stick with it, the experience will be worthwhile. David Siegfried

About this edition

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0306446456
• ISBN 13: 9780306446450
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 317