Companion Encyclopedia of the History and Philosophy of the Mathematical Sciences

by Grattan-Guinness,Ivor

• ISBN13: 9780415037853
• ISBN10: 0415037859
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1993-12-08
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

TheCompanion Encyclopediais the first comprehensive work to cover all the principal lines and themes of the history and philosophy of mathematics from ancient times up to the twentieth century. In 176 articles contributed by 160 authors of 18 nationalities, the work describes and analyzes the variety of theories, proofs, techniques, and cultural and practical applications of mathematics. The work's aim is to recover our mathematical heritage and show the importance of mathematics today by treating its interactions with the related disciplines of physics, astronomy, engineering and philosophy. It also covers the history of higher education in mathematics and the growth of institutions and organizations connected with the development of the subject. Part 1deals with mathematics in various ancient and non-Western cultures from antiquity up to medieval and Renaissance times.Part 2treats developments in all the main areas of mathematics during the medieval andRenaissance periods up to and including the early 17th century.Parts 3-10are divided into the main branches into which mathematics developed from the early 17th century onwards: calculus and mathematical analysis, logic and foundations, algebras, geometries, mechanics, mathematical physics and engineering, and probability and statistics.Parts 11-13review the history of mathematics from an international perspective. The teaching of mathematics in higher education is examined in various countries, and mathematics in culture, art and society is covered. TheCompanion Encyclopediafeatures annotated bibliographies of both classic and contemporary sources; black and white illustrations, line figures and equations; biographies of major mathematicians and historians and philosophers of mathematics; a chronological table of main events in the developments of mathematics; and a fully integrated index of people, events and topics.

Table of Contents

Ancient and non-Western traditions

The Western Middle Ages and the Renaissance

Calculus and mathematical analysis

Functions, series and methods in analysis

Logics, set theories, and the foundations of mathematics

Algebras and number theory

Geometrics and topology

Mechanics and mechanical engineering

Physics and mathematical physics, and electrical engineering

Probability and statistics, and the social sciences

Higher education and institutions

Mathematics and culture

Reference and information

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.