The Cult of Pythagoras: Math and Myths - Hardcover

Martinez, Alberto A.

3.31

26 ratings by Goodreads

9780822944188: The Cult of Pythagoras: Math and Myths

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0822944189 ISBN 13: 9780822944188

Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2012

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Alberto A. Mart�nez discusses various popular myths from the history of mathematics: that Pythagoras proved the hypotenuse theorem, that Archimedes figured out how to test the purity of a gold crown while he was in a bathtub, that the Golden Ratio is in nature and ancient architecture, that the young Galois created group theory the night before the pistol duel that killed him, and more. Some stories are partly true, others are entirely false, but all show the power of invention in history. Pythagoras emerges as a symbol of the urge to conjecture and “fill in the gaps” of history. He has been credited with fundamental discoveries in mathematics and the sciences, yet there is nearly no evidence that he really contributed anything to such fields at all. This book asks: how does history change when we subtract the many small exaggerations and interpolations that writers have added for over two thousand years? (Publisher)

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About the Author:

Alberto A. Mart�nez is a tenured professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Burned Alive: Giordano Bruno, Galileo and the Inquisition (Reaktion 2018), Science Secrets: The Truth about Darwin's Finches, Einstein's Wife, and Other Myths (University of Pittsburgh Press 2011), Kinematics: The Lost Origins of Einstein's Relativity (Johns Hopkins University Press 2009), and Negative Math: How Mathematical Rules Can Be Positively Bent (Princeton University Press 2006).Prof. Mart�nez also has a new book about the political news media during the U.S. presidential election of 2015-16: The Media Versus the Apprentice: The Devil Mr. Trump (Saltshadow Castle 2019).

Review:

"exhaustive historical research... an enjoyable read... an enormous amount of research... impressive... valuable... entertaining and carefully researched... enjoyable... The author leaves us with lessons that are simple and wise: Healthy skepticism is important for the advancement of knowledge. And the struggle that accompanies this skepticism is worth it."― American Mathematical Monthly

"his scholarship is admirable. Every subject needs its history told in a careful and useful manner, and Mart�nez clearly succeeds in this endeavor. This book is a good addition to all libraries where seekers of the truth might find some satisfaction."― Choice

"Martinez documents how historical errors begin and propagate. He demonstrates how advances in geometry, algebra, and calculus were made by those willing to question the rules that govern mathematical operations. ...Beyond authenticating or disproving myths, Martinez takes readers into the philosophical questions behind them. ...an engaging study for those interested in the history and pedagogy of science."― Library Journal

"After conducting painstakingly detailed primary source research and re-translating ancient sources, Martinez finds that proof is scarce. He asserts that although speculative myths appear to be true and satisfy the human quest for a juicy story, truth is ultimately more interesting than superstition and fiction. He encourages readers to embrace skepticism."― Heinz History Center / Smithsonian

"the author has done an excellent job of compiling primary sources to demonstrate how myths about mathematicians have grown and indeed been intentionally fostered. ... This may be the most valuable part of The Cult of Pythagoras ― by understanding not just the myth itself, but the process of mythologizing, we can learn something about mathematics and mathematicians."
― The Mathematical Intelligencer

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