Overview
Discover how mathematics and science have propelled history From Ancient Greece to the Enlightenment and then on to modern times, Shifting the Earth: The Mathematical Quest to Understand the Motion of the Universe takes readers on a journey motivated by the desire to understand the universe and the motion of the heavens. The author presents a thought-provoking depiction of the sociopolitical environment in which some of the most prominent scientists in history lived and then provides a mathematical account of their contributions. From Eudoxus to Einstein, this fascinating book describes how, beginning in ancient times, pioneers in the sciences and mathematics have dramatically changed our vision of who we are as well as our place in the universe. Readers will discover how Ptolemy's geocentric model evolved into Kepler's heliocentric model, with Copernicus as the critical intermediary. The author explains how one scientific breakthrough set the stage for the next one, and he also places the scientists and their discoveries within the context of history, including: Archimedes, Apollonius, and the Punic Wars Ptolemy and the rise of Christianity Copernicus and the Renaissance Kepler and the Counter-Reformation Newton and the Enlightenment Einstein and the detonation of the atom bomb Each chapter presents the work of a single scientist or mathematician, building on the previous chapters to demonstrate the evolutionary process of discovery. Chapters begin with a narrative section and conclude with a mathematical presentation of one of the scientist's original works. Most of these mathematical presentations, including the section on Einstein's special relativity, are accessible using only basic mathematics; however, readers can skip the mathematical sections and still follow the evolution of science and mathematics. Shifting the Earth is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of mathematics and how the quest to understand the motion of the heavens has influenced the broader history of humankind.
Full Product Details
Author: Arthur Mazer (Southern California Edison)
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 16.50cm
, Height: 1.70cm
, Length: 23.60cm
Weight: 0.467kg
ISBN: 9781118024270
ISBN 10: 1118024273
Pages: 328
Publication Date: 08 November 2011
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. ( Choice , 1 June 2012)
Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. (Choice, 1 June 2012)
Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-divisionundergraduates through researchers/faculty; generalreaders. (Choice, 1 June 2012)
Author Information
ARTHUR MAZER, PhD, is Manager of Quantitative Analytics at Southern California Edison, where he oversees the risk assessment of the company's power and gas portfolio. Throughout his career, he has held various academic positions as well as analyst positions at Electrabel, Progress Energy, and Energy Power Marketing Corporation. Dr. Mazer is the author of Electric Power Planning for Regulated and Deregulated Markets and The Ellipse: A Historical and Mathematical Journey, both published by Wiley.
