Description
Book SynopsisThis historic and thematic study refutes the received wisdom that mathematical concepts are esoteric and divorced from other intellectual pursuits-revealing them instead as dynamic and intrinsic to almost every human endeavor.
Trade ReviewA very unusual book!... Every chapter offers a refreshing wealth of surprising connections, gently nudging readers to expand and assimilate their growing understanding of mathematics and its role in society... Highly recommended. Choice 2009 I recommend this book for teachers and college students interested in the role mathematics play in answering the big 'Whys?' of life. -- Vicki Schell Mathematics Teacher 2010
Table of ContentsPreface
1. Mysticism, Number, and Geometry: An Introduction to Pythagoreanism
2. The Elgin Marbles and Plato's Geometric Chemistry
3. An Introduction to Infinity
4. The Flat Earth and the Spherical Sky
5. Theology, Logic, and Questions about Angels
6. Time, Infinity, and Incommensurability
7. Medieval Theories of Vision and the Discovery of Space
8. The Shape of Space and the Fourth Dimension
9. What Is a Number?
10. The Dual Nature of Points and Lines
11. Modern Mathematical Infinity
12. Elegance and Truth
Notes
Bibliography
Index
