Makers of Mathematics

by Stuart Hollingdale

Book Overview

A history of the discoveries of the major figures in mathematics from the Ancients to Einstein. It includes separate chapters on the work of mathematicians such as Descartes, Fermat, Pascal, Newton, Leibnitz, Euler, Gauss, Hamilton, Babbage and Einstein. The reader does not require anything more than a rusty knowledge of A-Level maths. Both pure and applied mathematics are covered, as most of the greats worked in both areas.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140227326
• ISBN13: 9780140227321
• Release Date: February 1990
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Good history of mathematics

A very interesting history of mathematics by british author Stuart Hollingdale. The book is arranged in chronological order, with the first chapter dealing with the mathematics of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and the last chapter with the latest developments in math. The mathematics of ancient Greece is covered very thoroughly, in particular. Each chapter, with the exception of the first one, takes the work of one mathematician to analyze the mathematics of the period. One can argue with the book here and there (putting Einstein as a mathematician, covering very little of 20th century developments) but all in all this is a good volume. Note: while the book is not overly complex, it is not for the completely uninitiated either, as it supposes some previous knowledge of math to understand it.

For anyone interested in the History of Math

I enjoyed this book immensely as it painted the picture of how modern mathematics evolved from ancient times. The author does a great job of bringing you through the issues of time when the theories were forming and providing an understanding of how ancient cultures dealt with math that is otherwise rudimentary today. If you have always enjoyed math (as a hobby or career) you will most likely appreciate the road that has been paved before us by the mathematical giants detailed in the book. For those who may not have much math experience, this book does a decent job at explaining most of the concepts before referring to them. However, if you are merely interested in a good story and lack the appreciation for the mathematical contributions of these great thinkers (as another reviewer has) this book is not for you.

Great!

I love the books. Very enjoyable history of mathematics, that is fairly accesible to non-mathematicians.