2012
First Published
3.40
Average Rating
145
Number of Pages
Part of Series
This Very Short Introduction explores the rich historical and cultural diversity of mathematical practice, ranging from the distant past to the present. Historian Jacqueline Stedall shows that mathematical ideas are far from being fixed, but are adapted and changed by their passage across periods and cultures. The book illuminates some of the varied contexts in which people have learned, used, and handed on mathematics, drawing on fascinating case studies from a range of times and places, including early imperial China, the medieval Islamic world, and nineteenth-century Britain. By drawing out some common threads, Stedall provides an introduction not only to the mathematics of the past but to the history of mathematics as a modern academic discipline.
Avg Rating
3.40
Number of Ratings
383
5 STARS
14%
4 STARS
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3 STARS
38%
2 STARS
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1 STARS
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Author
Jacqueline A. Stedall
Author · 1 books
Jacqueline Anne "Jackie" Stedall was a British historian of mathematics. She wrote nine books,and appeared on radio on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time programme.
