|
Product Description
This fascinating narrative history of math in America introduces readers to the diverse and vibrant people behind pivotal moments in the nation's mathematical maturation.
Once upon a time in America, few knew or cared about math. In Republic of Numbers, David Lindsay Roberts tells the story of how all that changed, as America transformed into a powerhouse of mathematical thinkers. Covering more than 200 years of American history, Roberts recounts the life stories of twenty-three Americans integral to the evolution of mathematics in this country. Beginning with self-taught Salem mathematician Nathaniel Bowditch's unexpected breakthroughs in ocean navigation and closing with the astounding work Nobel laureate John Nash did on game theory, this book is meant to be read cover to cover.
Revealing the marvelous ways in which America became mathematically sophisticated, the book introduces readers to Kelly Miller, the first black man to attend Johns Hopkins, who brilliantly melded mathematics and civil rights activism; Izaak Wirszup, a Polish immigrant who survived the Holocaust and proceeded to change the face of American mathematical education; Grace Hopper, the "Machine Whisperer," who pioneered computer programming; and many other relatively unknown but vital figures. As he brings American history and culture to life, Roberts also explains key mathematical concepts, from the method of least squares, propositional logic, quaternions, and the mean-value theorem to differential equations, non-Euclidean geometry, group theory, statistical mechanics, and Fourier analysis. Republic of Numbers will appeal to anyone who is interested in learning how mathematics has intertwined with American history.
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
- The Trouble with Gravity: Solving the Mystery Beneath Our Feet
- 50 Things to See in the Sky: (illustrated beginner's guide to stargazing with step by step instructions and diagrams, glow in the dark cover)
- The Bastard Brigade: The True Story of the Renegade Scientists and Spies Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb
- The Math of Life and Death: 7 Mathematical Principles That Shape Our Lives
- Thomas Jefferson's Education
- The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator
- The Art of Statistics: How to Learn from Data
- At the Edge of Time: Exploring the Mysteries of Our Universe's First Seconds (Science Essentials)
- Adventures of a Computational Explorer
- The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution
*If this is not the "Republic of Numbers: Unexpected Stories of Mathematical Americans through History" product you were looking for, you can check the other results by clicking this link. Details were last updated on Oct 28, 2024 06:15 +08.