Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} A History of Mathematics by Carl B. Boyer Carl Benjamin Boyer. Boyer became an Instructor in mathematics at Brooklyn College in 1934 . Lynn Thorndike (1882 - 1965) had studied medieval history at Columbia and, after positions at two other universities, he was appointed to Columbia University in 1924 as Professor of History. At Columbia he held a seminar 'Studies in intellectual history of the closing medieval and early modern centuries' which Boyer attended and at this seminar he met Marjorie Duncan Nice. She was born in 1912 , the daughter of Leonard Blaine Nice, Professor of Physiology at the Chicago Medical School, and Margaret Morse Nice, an ornithologist. Marjorie and Carl were married on 29 June 1935 . They had four sons; Hugh ( born 6 February 1939) , Timothy ( born 20 March 1941) , Russell ( born 19 March 1944) and Kenneth ( born 30 June 1948) . Marjorie completed her Ph.D. in History at Columbia University in 1958 . She was an expert in travel, transportation and bridges in medieval France, publishing books such as Travel in Medieval France (1958) , Medieval Suspended Carriages (1959) , and Medieval French Bridges: A History (1976) . Charles Gillispie writes in [ 9 ] about how Boyer, in studying the history of mathematics, went against the prevailing attitudes at Columbia:- In addition to his work at Brooklyn College, Boyer was a Lecturer in Science at University College, Rutgers University, from 1935 to 1941 . In 1939 he was awarded his Ph.D. from Columbia University and, in the same year, he published his famous book The Concepts of the Calculus which was his doctoral thesis. To read an extract from Boyer's Preface and extracts from reviews of this book see THIS LINK. In 1941 Boyer was promoted to Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Brooklyn College. Following the publication of his book in 1939 , Boyer published a number of papers on a wide variety of historical topics. The first of these papers are: Early estimates of the velocity of light (1939) , A vestige of Babylonian influence in thermometry (1942) , Cavalieri, limits and discarded infinitesimals (1942) , Early principles in the calibration of thermometers (1942) , An early reference to division by zero (1943) , Fractional indices, exponents, and powers (1943) , History of the measurement of heat (1943) , and Pascal's formula for the sums of powers of the integers (1943) . Morris Kline writes [ 14 ] :- At Brooklyn College, Boyer was promoted to Associate Professor in 1948 and to full Professor in 1952 . Boyer played a large role in the History of Science Society. He was on the council in 1943 - 45 , 1950 - 53 and vice-president 1957 - 58 . He served as Secretary of the Metropolitan New York Section of the Mathematical Association of America from 1945 to 1947 , and Vice-president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1958 - 59) . He was elected a Corresponding member of International Academy of History of Science in 1957 , becoming a full member in 1961 . He was a Visiting Professor of mathematics at Yeshiva University (1952 - 58) and Rose Morgan Visiting Professor at the University of Kansas (1966 - 67) . We have already mentioned his book The Concepts of the Calculus first published in 1939 with a second edition in 1949 . It was reprinted as The History of the Calculus and its Conceptual Development in 1959 . His other books are A History of Analytic Geometry (1956) , The Rainbow: From Myth to Mathematics (1959) and A History of Mathematics (1968) . This classic History of Mathematics was updated by Uta C Merzbach after Boyer died and A History of Mathematics by Carl B Boyer and Uta C Merzbach was published in 1991 . For extracts of reviews from all these books see THIS LINK. Let us give some even more brief extracts here from reviews of two of these books. Howard Eves, reviewing History of Analytic Geometry (1956) , writes [ 7 ] :- ISBN 13: 9780471097631. "Boyer and Merzbach distill thousands of years of mathematics into this fascinating chronicle. From the Greeks to Godel, the mathematics is brilliant; the cast of characters is distinguished; the ebb and flow of ideas is everywhere evident. And, while tracing the development of European mathematics, the authors do not overlook the contributions of Chinese, Indian, and Arabic civilizations. Without doubt, this is--and will long remain--a classic one-volume history of mathematics and mathematicians who create it." --William Dunham Author, Journey Through Genius, The Great Theorems of Mathematics "When we read a book like A History of Mathematics, we get the picture of a mounting structure, ever taller and broader and more beautiful and magnificent--and with a foundation, moreover, that is as untainted and as functional now as it was when Thales worked out the first geometrical theorems nearly 26 centuries ago." --From the Foreword by Isaac Asimov "One of the most useful and comprehensive general introductions to the subject." --J. W. Dauben The City University of New York "Both readable and scholarly, this book can serve as a fine introduction to the topic and also a reference book." --J. David Bolter University of North Carolina Author of Turing's Man Revised to make it more accessible to a general audience, A History of Mathematics paints a vivid picture of humankind's relationship with numbers. Updated and expanded, it now offers broadened coverage of twentieth century advances in probability and computers, and updated references to further reading. A feature that will be of interest to every reader is an appendix containing an extensive chronological table of mathematical and general historical developments. "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. What do you mean there's no chapter 0? Whether or not you think that's a deficit, A History of Mathematics more than makes up for it with its depth and engaging analysis of the development of the "flawless science." Historian Carl B. Boyer designed it as a practical textbook for communicating math's complex timelines to interested college students in 1968; Uta C. Merzbach has gently revised it to bring it in line with current thought. Much of the early chapters are untouched, with new 19th- and 20th-century chapters covering Boyer's omissions and new and revised references guiding the reader to additional resources. From the origins of numbering to the future of computing, the authors strive for comprehensive examination and clear, simple explanations. Some of the math will daunt those who have never taken college-level courses (or have forgotten what they learned), but some of the more elaborate technical material can be skipped if needed. Especially helpful is the extensive timeline-appendix that proceeds from the beginning of time to the late 20th century. Whether you're using it to gain a better understanding of mathematics or to broaden your awareness of the historical record, A History of Mathematics will help you make sense of the wide world of numbers. --Rob Lightner. A History of Mathematics. For more than forty years, A History of Mathematics has been the reference of choice for those looking to learn about the fascinating history of humankind’s relationship with numbers, shapes, and patterns. This revised edition features up-to-date coverage of topics such as Fermat’s Last Theorem and the Poincaré Conjecture , in addition to recent advances in areas such as finite group theory and computer-aided proofs. Distills thousands of years of mathematics into a single, approachable volume Covers mathematical discoveries, concepts, and thinkers, from Ancient Egypt to the present Includes up-to-date references and an extensive chronological table of mathematical and general historical developments. Whether you're interested in the age of Plato and Aristotle or Poincaré and Hilbert, whether you want to know more about the Pythagorean theorem or the golden mean, A History of Mathematics is an essential reference that will help you explore the incredible history of mathematics and the men and women who created it. Отзывы - Написать отзыв. LibraryThing Review. This book is probably a god-send for your average mathematician. But for the average reader, no matter how well versed in mathematics he/she is, this book is too esoteric to be more than occasionally . Читать весь отзыв. LibraryThing Review. Foreword by Isaac Asimov. "As time goes on, nearly every field of human endeavor is marked by changes which can be considered as correction and/or extension. But only among the sciences is there . Читать весь отзыв..