Of all human activities, mathematics is one of the oldest. Mathematics can be found on the cuneiform tablets of the Mesopotamians, on the papyri of the Egyptians, and in texts from
ancient China, the Indian subcontinent, and the indigenous cultures of Central America. Sophisticated mathematical research was carried out in the Middle East for several centuries after the birth of Muhammad, and advanced mathematics has been a hallmark of European culture since the Renaissance. Today, mathematical research is carried out across the world, and it is a remarkable fact that there is no end in sight. The more we learn of mathematics, the faster the pace of discovery.
Contemporary mathematics is often extremely abstract, and the important questions with which mathematicians concern themselves can sometimes be difficult to describe to the interested
nonspecialist. Perhaps this is one reason that so many histories of mathematics give so little attention to the last 100 years of discovery — this, despite the fact that the last 100 years have probably been the most productive period in the history of mathematics. One unique feature of this six-volume History of Mathematics is that it covers a significant portion of recent mathematical history as well as the origins. And with the help of in-depth interviews with prominent mathematicians—one for each volume — it is hoped that the reader will develop an appreciation for current work in mathematics as well as an interest in the future of this
remarkable subject.