Overview

This is a concise introductory textbook for a one semester course in the history and philosophy of mathematics. It is written for mathematics majors, philosophy students, history of science students and secondary school mathematics teachers. The only prerequisite is a solid command of pre-calculus mathematics. It is shorter than the standard textbooks in that area and thus more accessible to students who have trouble coping with vast amounts of reading. Furthermore, there are many detailed explanations of the important mathematical procedures actually used by famous mathematicians, giving more mathematically talented students a greater opportunity to learn the history and philosophy by way of problem solving. Several important philosophical topics are pursued throughout the text, giving the student an opportunity to come to a full and consistent knowledge of their development. These topics include infinity, the nature of motion, and Platonism. This book offers, in fewer pages, a deep penetration into the key mathematical and philosophical aspects of the history of mathematics.

Full Product Details

Author:   W.S. Anglin
Publisher:   Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Imprint:   Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Edition:   1st ed. 1994. Corr. 2nd printing 1996
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   1.270kg
ISBN:  

9780387942803

ISBN 10:   0387942807
Pages:   265
Publication Date:   29 September 1994
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of print, replaced by POD  
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Table of Contents

1 Mathematics for Civil Servants.- 2 The Earliest Number Theory.- 3 The Dawn of Deductive Mathematics.- 4 The Pythagoreans.- 5 The Pythagoreans and Perfection.- 6 The Pythagoreans and Polyhedra.- 7 The Pythagoreans and Irrationality.- 8 The Need for the Infinite.- 9 Mathematics in Athens Before Plato.- 10 Plato.- 11 Aristotle.- 12 In the Time of Eudoxus.- 13 Ruler and Compass Constructions.- 14 The Oldest Surviving Math Book.- 15 Euclid’s Geometry Continued.- 16 Alexandria and Archimedes.- 17 The End of Greek Mathematics.- 18 Early Medieval Number Theory.- 19 Algebra in the Early Middle Ages.- 20 Geometry in the Early Middle Ages.- 21 Khayyam and the Cubic.- 22 The Later Middle Ages.- 23 Modern Mathematical Notation.- 24 The Secret of the Cubic.- 25 The Secret Revealed.- 26 A New Calculating Device.- 27 Mathematics and Astronomy.- 28 The Seventeenth Century.- 29 Pascal.- 30 The Seventeenth Century II.- 31 Leibniz.- 32 The Eighteenth Century.- 33 Lagrange.- 34 Nineteenth-Century Algebra.- 35 Nineteenth-Century Analysis.- 36 Nineteenth-Century Geometry.- 37 Nineteenth-Century Number Theory.- 38 Cantor.- 39 Foundations.- 40 Twentieth-Century Number Theory.- References.- Appendix A Sample Assignments and Tests.- Appendix ? Answers to Selected Exercises.

Reviews

...The book is well written and will help those who look for a deeper understanding of mathematical culture. -- MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS

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