The Story of Mathematics

Mankiewicz, Richard

ISBN 10: 069108808X / ISBN 13: 9780691088082

Published by Princeton University Press, 2001

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Story of Mathematics
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 069108808X
• ISBN 13: 9780691088082
• Binding: hardcover
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

The mysterious tally sticks of prehistoric peoples and the terrestrial maps used for trade, exploration, and warfare; the perennial fascination with the motions of heavenly bodies and changed perspectives on the art and science of vision: all are testament to a mathematics at the heart of history. This visually stunning volume takes the reader on an illustrated tour of mathematics across cultures and civilizations, bringing to life a world of important ideas and-rarely supposed-great intrigue and charm.


The development of mathematics can be seen in a wealth of images, from the richly illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages to the deeply unsettling art of Dali and Duchamp, from the austere beauty of Babylonian clay tablets to the delicate complexity of computer-generated pictures. These images, and many others, are lavishly reproduced to accompany a text that travels from the dawn of Chinese and Indian civilizations to the scientific and digital revolutions of our day.


Including portraits of household names such as Kepler and Copernicus as well as lesser-known but equally compelling figures like Niels Henrik Abel and Leonhard Euler, The Story of Mathematics is a rich amalgam of history, biography, and popular science. Readers will come away understanding how and why mathematics evolved as it did--of how it entered and remained close to the center of every area of human activity. Explaining mathematical concepts without equations, Richard Mankiewicz enables us to appreciate this essential intellectual occupation without "doing the math."

About the Author

Richard Mankiewicz is currently a lecturer at Peterborough Regional College. He is a contributing author to The Science Book (Cassell) as well as the author of many articles on mathematics, art, and culture.