Fully evolved teaching text, developed and class tested for over 15 years
Uses original sources to teach the history of mathematics – an original yet fascinating approach
Heavily illustrated with line drawings and half-tones, including many historical photographs
Each chapter is self-contained and could be used independently

Experience the discovery of mathematics by reading the original work of some of the greatest minds throughout history. Here are the stories of four mathematical adventures, including the Bernoulli numbers as the passage between discrete and continuous phenomena, the search for numerical solutions to equations throughout time, the discovery of curvature and geometric space, and the quest for patterns in prime numbers. Each story is told through the words of the pioneers of mathematical thought. Particular advantages of the historical approach include providing context to mathematical inquiry, perspective to proposed conceptual solutions, and a glimpse into the direction research has taken. The text is ideal for an undergraduate seminar, independent reading, or a capstone course, and offers a wealth of student exercises with a prerequisite of at most multivariable calculus.

Content Level » Lower undergraduate

Related subjects » Computational Science & Engineering - Geometry & Topology - History of Mathematical Sciences - Number Theory and Discrete Mathematics