The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics (Third Edition)

Portada
Princeton University Press, 2011 - 561 pàgines

From the Ishango Bone of central Africa and the Inca quipu of South America to the dawn of modern mathematics, The Crest of the Peacock makes it clear that human beings everywhere have been capable of advanced and innovative mathematical thinking. George Gheverghese Joseph takes us on a breathtaking multicultural tour of the roots and shoots of non-European mathematics. He shows us the deep influence that the Egyptians and Babylonians had on the Greeks, the Arabs' major creative contributions, and the astounding range of successes of the great civilizations of India and China.


The third edition emphasizes the dialogue between civilizations, and further explores how mathematical ideas were transmitted from East to West. The book's scope is now even wider, incorporating recent findings on the history of mathematics in China, India, and early Islamic civilizations as well as Egypt and Mesopotamia. With more detailed coverage of proto-mathematics and the origins of trigonometry and infinity in the East, The Crest of the Peacock further illuminates the global history of mathematics.

 

Continguts

The History of Mathematics Alternative Perspectives
1
Mathematics from Bones Strings and Standing Stones
30
The Beginnings of Written Mathematics Egypt
79
The Beginnings of Written Mathematics Mesopotamia
125
Egyptian and Mesopotamian Mathematics An Assessment
177
Ancient Chinese Mathematics
188
Special Topics in Chinese Mathematics
246
Ancient Indian Mathematics
311
Indian Mathematics The Classical Period and After
372
A Passage to Infinity The Kerala Episode
418
Prelude to Modern Mathematics The Islamic Contribution
450
References
521
Name Index
543
Subject Index
549
Copyright

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Sobre l'autor (2011)

George Gheverghese Joseph was born in Kerala, India, grew up in Mombasa, Kenya, and completed his degrees in England. He has worked in various occupations that have taken him to places all over the world, including East and Central Africa, India, Papua New Guinea, and South East Asia.

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