内容(「BOOK」データベースより)
なぜこんなものを習うのか、不可解な数学。でも、たとえばあの小難しい微分積分が何をしたくて考え出されたかわかったら、微積分発明の裏にニュートンとそのライバルのどろどろした先取権争いがあったと言ったら、俄然興味がわいてきませんか?生きたドラマの宝庫である天才数学者の生身の肖像を辛辣に、共感をもって描き、関連書で必ず引用される名作数学史。1巻は近代数学の成立前夜までを紹介。
Book Description
Here is the classic, much-read introduction to the craft and history of mathematics by E.T. Bell, a leading figure in mathematics in America for half a century. Men of Mathematics accessibly explains the major mathematics, from the geometry of the Greeks through Newton's calculus and on to the laws of probability, symbolic logic, and the fourth dimension. In addition, the book goes beyond pure mathematics to present a series of engrossing biographies of the great mathematicians -- an extraordinary number of whom lived bizarre or unusual lives. Finally, Men of Mathematics is also a history of ideas, tracing the majestic development of mathematical thought from ancient times to the twentieth century. This enduring work's clear, often humorous way of dealing with complex ideas makes it an ideal book for the non-mathematician.
--This text refers to the
ペーパーバック
edition.