Oxford Figures Eight Centuries of the Mathematical Sciences

by Fauvel, John; Flood, Raymond; Wilson, Robin

• ISBN13: 9780199681976
• ISBN10: 019968197X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-12-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Author Biography

John Fauvel, Former Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at the Open University and a former President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics,Raymond Flood, Gresham Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London and Emeritus Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford,Robin Wilson, Robin Wilson is an Emeritus Professor of Pure Mathematics at the Open University, Emeritus Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London, and a former Fellow of Keble College, Oxford

John Fauvel was a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at the Open University and a former President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics. A major figure in the international history of mathematics, he was particularly involved with relationships between the history and pedagogy of mathematics. He died in 2001.



Raymond Flood is the Gresham Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London. He is Emeritus Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford, having formerly been Vice-President of the College. He was University Lecturer in Computing Studies and Mathematics at the Department for Continuing Education, Oxford University, and was President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics.



Robin Wilson is an Emeritus Professor of Pure Mathematics at the Open University, Emeritus Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London, and a former Fellow of Keble College, Oxford. He is currently President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics. He is involved with the popularization and communication of mathematics and its history, and has been awarded prizes by the Mathematical Association of America for his 'outstanding expository writing'.

Table of Contents

Foreword to Second Edition, Marcus du Sautoy
Foreword to First Edition, I. M. James
Introduction: Eight centuries of mathematical traditions, John Fauvel
PART I: EARLY DAYS
1. Medieval Oxford, John North
2. Renaissance Oxford, John Fauvel and Robert Goulding
3. Mathematical instruments, Willem Hackmann
PART II: THE 17th CENTURY
4. The first professors, Allan Chapman
5. John Wallis, Raymond Flood
6. Edmond Halley, Allan Chapman
PART III: THE 18th CENTURY
7. Oxford's Newtonian school, Allan Chapman
8. Georgian Oxford, John Fauvel
9. Thomas Hornsby and the Radcliffe Observatory, Allan Chapman
PART IV: THE VICTORIAN ERA
10. The 19th century, Keith Hannabuss
11. Henry Smith, Keith Hannabuss
12. Charles Dodgson, Robin Wilson
13. James Joseph Sylvester, John Fauvel
PART V: THE MODERN ERA
14. The 20th century, Margaret E. Rayner
15. Some personal reminiscences, Sir Michael Atiyah
Epilogue: Recent developments, Peter M. Neumann