The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set By James Roy Newman
This set of four volumes is very good, very British and very 20th century. If I were living in Edinburgh in 1980, I would give it five stars, but I am subtracting one because it is 2019 and another because i am a New York yankee. That written, look at the very long tables of contents and see if you would like to buy taking my caveats into consideration. The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set Reading the few parts of this that I could understand after my sr. year of high school helped me decide on a math major in college. For people interested in math, keep an eye out for the 4-volume boxed set in used book stores. The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set Part way into vol. 2, good stuff, but what am I actually learning? Need to settle down with some elementary calculus and relearn what I forgot 40 years ago The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set Good accessible math. See Volume III for an excellent few essays on the foundations of math, the axiomatic method and Godol. The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set Sounds like a collection of papers and articles by the original historical developers or discoverers of various bits of math? Nice idea -- read the masters, not their students as they say, which would be easier if they made collections like these easier to find! The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set
James Roy Newman ✓ 3 free read
I'm still, slowly, reading it.
It's a found treasure... and once I found it, I bought a dozen sets to give away to math-interested parties I encounter.
I'll add more detail later, but the gist of this is that it's a set of 133 papers by original authors, most of whom are mathematicians of one stripe or another, skillfully chosen and wonderfully commented upon by Newman.
It's more a book about math than a math book, and once you have finished a volume or two (I am on #3 right now), you'll feel well acquainted with math history and its relationship to our civilization and those past.
The best version is the 1988 reprint by of all outfits, Microsoft Press. Copies in good shape go for a reasonable price, and the several that I have bought showed signs of never having been read. That, sadly, is a huge shame, as this set is engaging from the beginning.
NOTHING can compare to reading Galileo's own description of how he reasoned through the laws of motion. There are 132 other chapters, too, with wonderful titles like The statistics of deadly quarrels, etc. Galileo didn't even have a stopwatch... he used his heartbeat and what has to qualify as the most pristine and original application of independent reason imaginable. You'll discover (if you didn't already know) that a lot of math got done in ancient days without the benefit of zero (0) or positional notation. Charts and graphs really didn't show up until Rene Descarte came up with a means to relate geometry and algebra. The achievements of the ancients, properly revered, yield a most useful contemporary humility for us moderns who think we know and invented everything.
Honestly, if you are a math phobe who wants to get a broad brush treatment of a vast subject, this is a set for you.
While it is true that it omits the last 50 years or so of math, it gives a pretty good overview of the first 4000 or so.
The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set I didn't read all of it (that would be overwhelming) but I read the biographies of mathematicians and the sections on the connections between logic and mathematics. Since it is a book of excerpted selections, it varies from incomprehensible to entertaining. The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set 7/29-Today I read 2 essays about Newton and one about Gauss, as well as some of The Geometry by Descartes and and an analysis of infintesmals by Bishop Berkeley. Although the beauty of getting drawn into trying to understand the notations and drawings has its allure, it is really the biographical information that I am looking for in order to hook my students. The most singular fact about Newton and Gauss seems to be their ability to hold problems in their head for long periods of time. Most of the information about Newton I already had from the fabulous book, The Calculus Wars--I think more stuff about his work for the Mint would interest my students though. I learned more about Gauss this morning, and Bell's excellent essay made me want to learn more about him.
Nature of Mathematics by Jourdain
The following ideas for class discussions. Why did Descartes invent the notation of analytic Geometry? Why do we say -6 but not +6? (This is one that my students struggle with all the time. A definition of the tangent as given by the Greeks a straight line through the point such that between it and the curve no other straight line can be drawn. And a great lesson activity for between.
The Great Mathematicians by Robert Turnbull
Napier spending 25 years on his log tables, I can't even get my students to spend 25 minutes on log problems. Must look at Napier's spherical trigonometry. Newton considered Euclid's elements a trifling work. And perhaps my favorite thought of the day describing light as either undulatory or copuscular.
The Rhind Papyrus by James R. Newman--didn't really grab me.
Observations on Archimedes by Plutarch and others.
The 3 different stories about his death and by remembrance of the Dutch puzzle and Descartes reminds me that I must share the nerdswiped xkcd comic with my students. Maybe on the syllabus.
Read a bit on The Greek Mathematics, which was incredibly dull, than a good essay on Kepler by Locke. No crazy new teaching ideas. The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set I didn't know this was still in print, especially not new editions. I've owned at least three full sets of the 1956 edition throughout my life, though, and I can't imagine removing any part of it, just adding new pieces.
This isn't dry, abstract math. This is living, breathing, and accessible independent essays, explanations, biographies, histories, and snippets that touch on most aspect of the math community. Anyone can pick up a volume of this, browse for a few minutes, and find some section interesting and educational. It's perfect to just have on the shelf in easy reach and grab for a minute or two on a break.
And make sure kids grow up with it handy. The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set Not something you read cover to cover. You can dip in and out just about anywhere, First discovered this set in the local library and later purchased my own copy. Great reading in mathematics. You do't need advanced mathematics to enjoy this trio of books. The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set
Save 10% when you order the complete set! A monumental 4-volume reference, 15 years in the making, The World of Mathematics was specially designed to make mathematics more accessible to the inexperienced. It comprises non-technical essays on every aspect of the vast subject, including articles by scores of eminent mathematicians and other thinkers. The World of Mathematics: A Four-Volume Set
