Math through the ages: a gentle history for teachers and others

Preface to the second edition

Preface to the first edition

History in the mathematics classroom

The History of Mathematics in a Large Nutshell: Beginnings ; Greek mathematics ; Meanwhile, in India ; Arabic mathematics ; Medieval Europe ; The 15th and 16th centuries ; Algebra comes of age ; Calculus and applied mathematics ; Rigor and professionalism ; Abstraction, computers, and new applications ; Mathematics today

Sketches: 1. Keeping count : writing whole numbers ; 2. Reading and writing arithmetic : the basic symbols ; 3. Nothing becomes a number : the story of zero ; 4. Broken numbers : writing fractions ; 5. Less than nothing? : negative numbers ; 6. By tens and tenths : metric measurement ; 7. Measuring the circle : the story of pi ; 8. The Cossic art : writing algebra with symbols; 9. Linear thinking : solving first degree equations; 10. A square and things : quadratic equations; 11. Intrigue in Renaissance Italy : solving cubic equations; 12. A cheerful fact : the Pythagorean theorem; 13. A marvelous proof : Fermat's last theorem; 14. On beauty bare : Euclid's plane geometry ; 15. In perfect shape : the Platonic solids ;16. Shapes by the numbers : coordinate geometry ; 17. Impossible, imaginary, useful : complex numbers ; 18. Half is better : sine and cosine ; 19. Strange new worlds : the non-Euclidean geometries ; 20. In the eye of the beholder : projective geometry ; 21. What's in a game? : the start of probability theory ; 22. Making sense of data : statistics becomes a science ; 23. Machines that think? : electronic computers ; 24. The arithmetic of reasoning : Boolean algebra ; 25. Beyond counting : infinity and the theory of sets ; 26. Out of the shadows : the tangent function ; 27. Counting ratios : logarithms ; 28. Any way you slice it : conic sections ; 29. Beyond the pale : irrational numbers ; 30. Barely touching : from tangents to derivatives

What to Read Next: The reference shelf ; Twelve historical books you ought to read ; History Online

When they lived.

History in the mathematics classroom

The history of mathematics in a large nutshell

Beginnings

Greek mathematics

Meanwhile, in India

Arabic mathematics

Medieval Europe

The 15th and 16th centuries

Algebra comes of age

Calculus and applied mathematics

Rigor and professionalism

Abstraction, computers, and new applications

Mathematics today

Sketches

Keeping count: writing whole numbers

Reading and writing arithmetic: where the symbols come from

Nothing becomes a number: the story of zero

Broken numbers: writing fractions

Something less than nothing: negative numbers

By tens and tenths: metric measurement

Measuring the circle: the story of [pi]

The Cossic art: writing algebra with symbols

Linear thinking: solving first degree equations

A square and things: quadratic equations

Intrigue in Renaissance Italy: solving cubic equations

A cheerful fact: the Pythagorean theorem

A marvelous proof: Fermat's last theorem

On beauty bare: Euclid's plane geometry

In perfect shape: the platonic solids

Shapes by the numbers: coordinate geometry

Impossible, imaginary, useful: complex numbers

Half is better: sine and cosine

Strange new worlds: the non-Euclidean geometries

In the eye of the beholder: projective geometry

What's in a game: the start of probability theory

Making sense of data: statistics becomes a science

Machines that think: electronic computers

The arithmetic of reasoning: logic and Boolean algebra

Beyond counting: infinity and the theory of sets.

History in the mathematics classroom

The history of mathematics in a large nutshell

Beginnings

Greek mathematics

Meanwhile, in India

Arabic mathematics

Medieval Europe

The 15th and 16th centuries

Algebra comes of age

Calculus and applied mathematics

Rigor and professionalism

Abstraction, computers, and new applications

Mathematics today

Sketches

Keeping count: writing whole numbers

Reading and writing arithmetic: where the symbols came from

Nothing becomes a number: the story of zero

Broken numbers: writing fractions

Something less than nothing? : negative numbers

By tens and tenths: metric measurement

Measuring the circle: the story of pi

The Cossic art: writing algebra with symbols

Linear thinking: solving first degree equations

A square and things: quadratic equations

Intrigue in renaissance Italy : solving cubic equations

A cheerful fact : the Pythagorean theorem

A marvelous proof: Fermat's last theorem

On beauty bare: Euclid's plane geometry

In perfect shape: the Platonic solids

Shapes by the numbers: coordinate geometry

Impossible, imaginary, useful: complex numbers

Half is better: sine and cosine

Strange new worlds: the non-Euclidean geometries

In the eye of the beholder: projective geometry

What's in a game? : the start of probability theory

Making sense of data: statistics becomes a science

Machines that think? : electronic computers

The arithmetic of reasoning : logic and boolean algebra

Beyond counting : infinity and the theory of sets

What to read next

The reference shelf

Fifteen historical books you ought to read

The Internet and other media.