Men Of Mathematics (Touchstone Book)

Plot

From one of the greatest minds in contemporary mathematics, Professor E.T. Bell, comes a witty, accessible, and fascinating look at the beautiful craft and enthralling history of mathematics.Men of Mathematics provides a rich account of major mathematical milestones, from the geometry of the Greeks through Newton’s calculus, and on to the laws of probability, symbolic logic, and the fourth dimension. Bell breaks down this majestic history of ideas into a series of engrossing biographies of the great mathematicians who made progress possible—and who also led intriguing, complicated, and often surprisingly entertaining lives. Never pedantic or dense, Bell writes with clarity and simplicity to distill great mathematical concepts into their most understandable forms for the curious everyday reader. Anyone with an interest in math may learn from these rich lessons, an advanced degree or extensive research is never necessary.

"Professor Bell has done his work well.... Any [one] engaged in learning mathematics will profit by reading him, since he humanizes the subject and helps to a realization of the historical environment." —Bertrand Russell

"Extremely harmonious... a first text in the philosophy of mathematics.... Bell's style is very enjoyable." —The New York Times

"Professor E.T. Bell has written a fascinating book.The amount of biographi-cal details and of mathematics that he has compressed into a volume of 600 pages is extraordinary... he carries the reader along; he whets the appetite." —Nature

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 centuty.This enduring work's clear, often humorous way of dealing with complex ideas makes it an ideal book for the non-mathematician.

E. T Bell (1883 -1960) was for many years Professor of Mathematics at the California Institute of Technology. He was President of the Mathematical Association of America, Vice President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the National Academy of Science. He published twelve books.