Description
Book SynopsisThis is the story behind the idea of number, from the Pythagoreans, up until the turn of the 20th century, through Greek, Islamic & European mathematics.
Trade ReviewCorry has compiled a readable account of the history of mathematics focusing on numbers, although for most of the period in question, arithmetic and geometry are not easily separable. The required level of sophistication of the reader is not great, it is certainly at the level of a first-year undergraduate, or a keen sixth-former who is studying mathematics. Even as an experienced university mathematician, the reviewer learnt many interesting things, and has some misconceptions remedied, on reading Corry's Brief History. * Robin Chapman, LMS Newsletter *
This fine book gives what its title promises ... a well-written treatment of the subject. * Underwood Dudley, MAA Reviews *
It is a highly recommended and pleasant read, not pedantic, but not casual either ... The book is written with great care ... * Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society *
A Brief History of Numbers is a meticulously researched and carefully crafted look at how mathematicians have explored the concept of number. Corry's prose is clear and engaging, and the mathematical content is uniformly accessible to his audience. ... I highly recommend A Brief History of Numbers to mathematics teachers who wish to know more about how our current edifice of natural, rational, real, complex, and infinite numbers came to be built. * James V. Rauff, Mathematics Teacher *
Table of Contents1. The System of Numbers: An Overview ; 2. Writing Numbers: Now and Back Then ; 3. Numbers and Magnitudes in the Greek Mathematical Tradition ; 4. Construction Problems and Numerical Problems in the Greek Mathematical Tradition ; 5. Numbers in the Tradition of Medieval Islam ; 6. Numbers in Europe from the 12th to the 16th Centuries ; 7. Number and Equations at the Beginning of the Scientific Revolution ; 8. Number and Equations in theWorks of Descartes, Newton, and their Contemporaries ; 9. New Definitions of Complex Numbers in the Early 19th Century ; 10. "What are numbers and what should they be?" Understanding Numbers in the Late 19th Century ; 11. Exact Definitions for the Natural Numbers: Dedekind, Peano and Frege ; 12. Numbers, Sets and Infinity. A Conceptual Breakthrough at the Turn of the Twentieth Century ; 13. Epilogue: Numbers in Historical Perspective
