An authoritative, accessible and revisionist history of maths that reveals the vital contributions of mathematicians from across the world and of all genders
The protagonists of this book won't be familiar to most readers. Pythagoras, Newton and Descartes seldom feature. Instead, it highlights the remarkable lives and works of a diverse group of pioneers, who fought millennia of oppression to leave a spectacular legacy of mind-melting ideas and theorems.
Kitagawa and Revell bring to life the stories of mathematicians from every continent, from the brilliant Arabic scholars of the 9th Century 'House of Wisdom'; to the pioneering African-American mathematicians of the 20th Century; from the first female mathematics professor (from Russia); to the "lady computers" around the world who revolutionised our knowledge of the night sky.
The authors want passionately to inspire people of every background to believe that mathematics is a subject for them. This ground-breaking book changes how we view our mathematical past, casting fresh light on the possibilities for the future.
An authoritative, accessible and revisionist history of maths that reveals the vital contributions of mathematicians from across the world and of all genders
The protagonists of this book won't be familiar to most readers. Pythagoras, Newton and Descartes seldom feature. Instead, it highlights the remarkable lives and works of a diverse group of pioneers, who fought millennia of oppression to leave a spectacular legacy of mind-melting ideas and theorems.
Kitagawa and Revell bring to life the stories of mathematicians from every continent, from the brilliant Arabic scholars of the 9th Century 'House of Wisdom'; to the pioneering African-American mathematicians of the 20th Century; from the first female mathematics professor (from Russia); to the "lady computers" around the world who revolutionised our knowledge of the night sky.
The authors want passionately to inspire people of every background to believe that mathematics is a subject for them. This ground-breaking book changes how we view our mathematical past, casting fresh light on the possibilities for the future.
Tomoko L. Kitagawa (Author)
Dr Tomoko L. Kitagawa is a historian specialising in the
mathematical cultures of Europe, East Asia, and South Africa at
Oxford University. After a stint as a diplomat at the United
Nations in New York, she received her PhD in history from Princeton
University. She has taught at Harvard University and held research
positions at UC Berkeley, University of Cambridge and the Max
Planck Institute. Her first book, Japanese History Abroad (2012),
was a national bestseller in Japan. She was selected as one of the
'100 most influential people in Japan' by Nikkei Business
Publishing and one of the '100 most amazing Japanese women' by
Japan's leading publisher, Shincho. Based in Oxford, she works as
an occasional broadcaster, with appearances on Netflix, CNN, the
History Channel, and the BBC.
Timothy Revell (Author)
Dr Timothy Revell is a science journalist and lapsed mathematician.
He currently works as Culture and Comment Editor at New Scientist.
As a reporter and editor, he specialises in technology and
mathematics, covering everything from artificial intelligence to
the Abel prize. He also currently runs New Scientist's diversity
internship scheme. He often appears on the BBC radio show 'The
Naked Scientists', including in a slot answering listener's
questions about mathematics.
Ask a Question About this Product More... |