Absorbing and entertaining, these thirty-two articles by distinguished educators offer a reader-friendly introduction to the history of mathematics. The newly corrected and updated essays cover eight centuries of discoveries, ranging from the medieval practice of finger calculus to the pioneering work of Leonhard Euler. Fascinating topics include the geometry behind the windows of Gothic churches, the development of complex numbers, the evolution of algebraic symbolism, and mathematical considerations on the trajectory of a cannon ball. Profiles of historic figures include Leonardo Fibonacci, Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, Galileo, the Bernoulli family, and other well- and less-known personalities, including mathematicians of the French Revolution and women in mathematics. Suitable for readers with no background in mathematics, this volume offers an excellent guide for high school students and college undergraduates as well as anyone with an interest in the history of mathematics.
