Originally published in 1946, this book explains important aspects of the world through the lens of mathematics. McKay discusses important questions such as time, the size of the earth and 'numbers that mean too much' in language that is enthusiastic and easily accessible to non-mathematicians. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of mathematics.

Originally published in 1910 as number eleven in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book deals with differential calculus and its underlying structures. Appendices on further reading and clarification of certain points are also included. This tract will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of mathematics or calculus.

Originally published in 1910 as number twelve in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book provides an up-to-date version of Du Bois-Reymond's Infinitarcalcul by the celebrated English mathematician G. H. Hardy. This tract will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of mathematics or the theory of functions.

Originally published in 1946 as number thirty-nine in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book provides a concise account regarding linear groups. Appendices are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in linear groups and the history of mathematics.

Originally published in 1913 as number fourteen in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book provides a concise account regarding the properties of the twisted cubic. A bibliography and appendix section are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the twisted cubic and the history of mathematics.

Originally published in 1932 as number twenty=seven in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book provides a concise account of the theory of modular invariants as embodied in the work of Dickson, Glenn and Hazlett. Appendices are included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in modular invariants and the history of mathematics.

First published in 1913, as the second edition of a 1905 original, this book is the first volume in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics Series. The text provides a concise account regarding volume and surface integrals used in physics. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in integrals and physics.

Originally published in 1908 as number nine in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book provides a concise account regarding the invariant theory connected with a single quadratic differential form. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in quadratic differential forms and the history of mathematics.

Originally published in 1914 as number sixteen in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book provides a concise account regarding the theory of linear associative algebras. Textual notes are incorporated throughout. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in algebra and the history of mathematics.

Originally published in 1914 as number fifteen in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book provides a concise proof of Cauchy's Theorem, along with some applications of the theorem to the evaluation of definite integrals. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of mathematics.

Originally published in 1936 as part of the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book provides a concise account regarding the rational quartic curve in space of three and four dimensions. Textual notes are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in rational curves and the history of mathematics.

First published in 1930, as the third edition of a 1907 original, this book forms number six in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics Series. The text gives a concise account of the theory of equations according to the ideas of Galois. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in algebra and the history of mathematics.

Originally published in 1915 as number eighteen in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, and here reissued in its 1952 reprinted form, this book contains a condensed account of Dirichlet's Series, which relates to number theory. This tract will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of mathematics or in the work of G. H. Hardy.

Originally published in 1911 as number thirteen in the Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics series, this book presents a general survey of the problem of the 27 lines upon the cubic surface. Illustrative figures and a bibliography are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in cubic surfaces and the history of mathematics.

Originally published in 1915, this book contains an English translation of a reconstructed version of Euclid's study of divisions of geometric figures, which survives only partially and in only one Arabic manuscript. Archibald also gives an introduction to the text, its transmission in an Arabic version and its possible connection with Fibonacci's Practica geometriae. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Greek mathematics, the history of science or the reconstruction of ancient texts.

This open access book brings together for the first time all aspects of the tragic life and fascinating work of the polymath Robert Leslie Ellis (1817-1859), placing him at the heart of early-Victorian intellectual culture. Written by a diverse team of experts, the chapters in the book's first part contain in-depth examinations of, among other things, Ellis's family, education, Bacon scholarship and mathematical contributions. The second part consists of annotated transcriptions of a selection of Ellis's diaries and correspondence. Taken together, A Prodigy of Universal Genius: Robert Leslie Ellis, 1817-1859 is a rich resource for historians of science, historians of mathematics and Victorian scholars alike. Robert Leslie Ellis was one of the most intriguing and wide-ranging intellectual figures of early Victorian Britain, his contributions ranging from advanced mathematical analysis to profound commentaries on philosophy and classics and a decisive role in the orientation of mid-nineteenth century scholarship. This very welcome collection offers both new and authoritative commentaries on the work, setting it in the context of the mathematical, philosophical and cultural milieux of the period, together with fascinating passages from the wealth of unpublished papers Ellis composed during his brief and brilliant career. - Simon Schaffer, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge

After studying both classics and mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Sir Thomas Little Heath (1861-1940) used his time away from his job as a civil servant to publish many works on the subject of ancient mathematics, both popular and academic. First published in 1926 as the second edition of a 1908 original, this book contains the first volume of his three-volume English translation of the thirteen books of Euclid's Elements, covering Books One and Two. This detailed text will be of value to anyone with an interest in Greek geometry and the history of mathematics.

After studying both classics and mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Sir Thomas Little Heath (1861-1940) used his time away from his job as a civil servant to publish many works on the subject of ancient mathematics, both popular and academic. First published in 1926 as the second edition of a 1908 original, this book contains the second volume of his three-volume English translation of the thirteen books of Euclid's Elements, covering Books Three to Nine. This detailed text will be of value to anyone with an interest in Greek geometry and the history of mathematics.

After studying both classics and mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Sir Thomas Little Heath (1861-1940) used his time away from his job as a civil servant to publish many works on the subject of ancient mathematics, both popular and academic. First published in 1926 as the second edition of a 1908 original, this book contains the third and final volume of his three-volume English translation of the thirteen books of Euclid's Elements, covering Books Ten to Thirteen. This detailed text will be of value to anyone with an interest in Greek geometry and the history of mathematics.

Born into a Newcastle coal mining family, Charles Hutton (1737-1823) displayed mathematical ability from an early age. He rose to become professor of mathematics at the Royal Military Academy and foreign secretary of the Royal Society. First published in 1795-6, this two-volume illustrated encyclopaedia aimed to supplement the great generalist reference works of the Enlightenment by focusing on philosophical and mathematical subjects; the coverage ranges across mathematics, astronomy, natural philosophy and engineering. Almost a century old, the last comparable reference work in English was John Harris' Lexicon Technicum. Hutton's work contains many historical and biographical entries, often with bibliographies, including many for continental analytical mathematicians who would have been relatively unfamiliar to British readers. These features make Hutton's Dictionary a particularly valuable record of eighteenth-century science and mathematics. Volume 1 ranges from abacist (a user of an abacus) to the English physician and Newtonian scientist James Jurin.

Born into a Newcastle coal mining family, Charles Hutton (1737-1823) displayed mathematical ability from an early age. He rose to become professor of mathematics at the Royal Military Academy and foreign secretary of the Royal Society. First published in 1795-6, this two-volume illustrated encyclopaedia aimed to supplement the great generalist reference works of the Enlightenment by focusing on philosophical and mathematical subjects; the coverage ranges across mathematics, astronomy, natural philosophy and engineering. Almost a century old, the last comparable reference work in English was John Harris' Lexicon Technicum. Hutton's work contains many historical and biographical entries, often with bibliographies, including many for continental analytical mathematicians who would have been relatively unfamiliar to British readers. These features make Hutton's Dictionary a particularly valuable record of eighteenth-century science and mathematics. Volume 2 ranges from kalendar to zone. Among the other topics covered are knots, Newton, magnets, and the Moon.

A member of the Academie francaise, Henri Poincare (1854 1912) was one of the greatest mathematicians and theoretical physicists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His discovery of chaotic motion laid the foundations of modern chaos theory, and he was acknowledged by Einstein as a key contributor in the field of special relativity. He earned his enduring reputation as a philosopher of mathematics and science with this elegantly written work, which was first published in French as three separate essays: Science and Hypothesis (1902), The Value of Science (1905), and Science and Method (1908). Poincare asserts that much scientific work is a matter of convention, and that intuition and prediction play key roles. George Halsted's authorised 1913 English translation retains Poincare's lucid prose style, presenting complex ideas for both professional scientists and those readers interested in the history of mathematics and the philosophy of science."

A treasure for anyone interested in early modern India and the history of mathematics, this first English translation of the Siddhantasundara reveals the fascinating work of the scholar-astronomer Jnanaraja (circa 1500 C.E.). Toke Lindegaard Knudsen begins with an introduction to the traditions of ancient Hindu astronomy and describes what is known of Jnanaraja's life and family. He translates the Sanskrit verses into English and offers expert commentary on the style and substance of Jnanaraja's treatise.

The Siddhantasundara contains a comprehensive exposition of the system of Indian astronomy, including how to compute planetary positions and eclipses. It also explores deep, probing questions about the workings of the universe and sacred Hindu traditions. In a philosophical discussion, the treatise seeks a synthesis between the cosmological model used by the Indian astronomical tradition and the cosmology of a class of texts sacred in Hinduism. In his discourse, which includes a discussion of the direction of down and adhesive antipodeans, Jnanaraja rejects certain principles from the astronomical tradition and reinterprets principles from the sacred texts. He also constructs a complex poem on the seasons, many verses of which have two layers of meaning, one describing a season, the other a god's activities in that season.

The Siddhantasundara is the last major treatise of Indian astronomy and cosmology to receive serious scholarly attention, Knudsen's careful effort unveils the 500-year-old Sanskrit verses and shows the clever quirkiness of Jnanaraja's writing style, his keen use of mathematics, and his subtle philosophical arguments.

Steps forward in mathematics often reverberate in other scientific disciplines, and give rise to innovative conceptual developments or find surprising technological applications. This volume brings to the forefront some of the proponents of the mathematics of the twentieth century, who have put at our disposal new and powerful instruments for investigating the reality around us. The portraits present people who have impressive charisma and wide-ranging cultural interests, who are passionate about defending the importance of their own research, are sensitive to beauty, and attentive to the social and political problems of their times. What we have sought to document is mathematics' central position in the culture of our day. Space has been made not only for the great mathematicians but also for literary texts, including contributions by two apparent interlopers, Robert Musil and Raymond Queneau, for whom mathematical concepts represented a valuable tool for resolving the struggle between 'soul and precision.'