Math History

This ten-part history of mathematics reveals the personalities behind the calculations: the passions and rivalries of mathematicians struggling to get their ideas heard. Professor Marcus du Sautoy shows how these masters of abstraction find a role in the real world and proves that mathematics is...

Infinite Powers recounts how calculus tantalized and thrilled its inventors, starting with its first glimmers in ancient Greece and bringing us right up to the discovery of gravitational waves. Strogatz reveals how this form of math rose to the challenges of each age: how to determine the area of a circle with only sand and a stick; how to explain why Mars goes "backwards" sometimes; how to turn the tide in the fight against AIDS.    

An award-winning science writer shows how math helps us solve the universe’s mysteries. “If you like reading about math without having to do math, this is a stellar book.” —Forbes One of the great insights of science is that the universe has an underlying order. The supreme goal of...

A new history of mathematics focusing on the marginalized voices who propelled the discipline, spanning six continents and thousands of years of untold stories. ""A book to make you love math."" —Financial Times Mathematics shapes almost everything we do. But despite its reputation as the...

Mathematics enthusiasts, lifelong learners, and curious general readers often want to understand not only how mathematical ideas work, but how they came to be. Many books present history as a timeline of names and theorems, which can feel dry or overly technical for readers who simply want a clear, engaging story. This book is designed for readers who appreciate big ideas, cultural context, and human drama, yet do not want advanced mathematics or academic jargon getting in the way. This sweeping narrative shows how mathematics emerged from practical needs, philosophical questions, and human...

In Significant Figures, acclaimed mathematician Ian Stewart introduces the visionaries of mathematics throughout history. Delving into the lives of twenty-five great mathematicians, Stewart examines the roles they played in creating, inventing, and discovering the mathematics we use today. Through these short biographies, we get acquainted with the history of mathematics.

Magic Numbers: Unlocking the Hidden Stories Behind the World’s Most Mysterious Digits What if numbers weren’t just tools for counting, but keys to understanding the universe? Magic Numbers takes you on a fascinating journey through the history, beauty, and mystery of mathematics. From ancient number systems to mind-bending modern theories, this book explores how numbers shape our world—and reveal truths that go far beyond arithmetic. Spanning seven books and sixteen chapters, you’ll discover: The hidden history of numbers and their role in building civilizations The golden ratio and...

The history of pi, says the author, though a small part of the history of mathematics, is nevertheless a mirror of the history of man. Petr Beckmann holds up this mirror, giving the background of the times when pi made progress - and also when it did not, because science was being stifled by militarism or religious fanaticism.

“The Map of Knowledge is an endlessly fascinating book, rich in detail, capacious and humane in vision.” —Stephen Greenblatt, author of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, winner of the Pulitzer Prize After the Fall of Rome, when many of the great ideas of the ancient world were lost...

From Stanford professor, author of Limitless Mind, youcubed.org founder, and leading expert in the field of mathematics education Jo Boaler comes a groundbreaking guide to finding joy and understanding by adopting a diverse approach to learning math. “Every once in a while, someone...

In Zero, science journalist Charles Seife follows this innocent-looking number from its birth as an Eastern philosophical concept to its struggle for acceptance in Europe, its rise and transcendence in the West, and its ever-present threat to modern physics. 

On 29 October 1998 a battered medieval prayer book sold at auction in New York for two million dollars. Nobody was paying for the prayers. Hidden beneath them, scraped away and written over in 1229, were the works of the greatest mathematician of the ancient world, including a letter in which he revealed how he made his discoveries. Archimedes: The Power of Curiosity is a lively, carefully researched life of the astronomer's son from Syracuse who measured the circle, weighed the parabola, counted the grains of sand that would fill the universe and held off a Roman army with his machines. It...

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss 25 pivotal concepts, theorists and developments that have advanced the science of mathematics 'Might be the best radio programme ever' Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian In Our Time is a Radio 4 phenomenon, a knowledge juggernaut that has informed and entertained over...

Does the universe embody beautiful ideas? Artists as well as scientists throughout human history have pondered this “beautiful question.” With Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek as your guide, embark on a voyage of related discoveries, from Plato and Pythagoras up to the present. Wilczek’s...

Geneticist Adam Rutherford and mathematician Hannah Fry guide listeners through time and space, through our bodies and brains, showing how emotions shape our view of reality, how our minds tell us lies, and why a mostly bald and curious ape decided to begin poking at the fabric of the universe.

Brought to you by Penguin. Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? These are just some of the questions considered in the internationally acclaimed masterpiece by the world renowned physicist - generally considered to have...

At a time when almost a third of US States have restricted or limited the teaching of Black History and African American Studies, this book provides a crucial guide for parents and educators alike. A sustainable curiosity and enthusiasm for lifelong learning can be easily inspired through simple, practical exercises which connect math and science to real-world issues your children confront in their everyday lives. By integrating these lessons with interdisciplinary learning from fictional literature, non-fictional biographies, even movies and games, children are guided toward a deeper ...

A bold indictment of America’s chronic obsession with creativity and innovation, tracing how these beloved ideas came to dominate our political and economic conversation while serving to mask inequality and protect elite interests “Innovation” and “creativity” have been the defining...

This program is read by the author. A fun, dazzling exploration of the strange numbers that illuminate the ultimate nature of reality. For particularly brilliant theoretical physicists like James Clerk Maxwell, Paul Dirac, or Albert Einstein, the search for mathematical truths led to strange new...

From the internationally bestselling author, a revealing look at the surprising numbers that uncover the hidden forces shaping our world What do marriage, milk and the black market tell us about the state of humanity? Most people would say, not much at all. But the numbers reveal startling...