A compact survey, at the elementary level, of some of the most important concepts of mathematics. Attention is paid to their technical features, historical development and broader philosophical significance. Each of the various branches of mathematics is discussed separately, but their interdependence is emphasised throughout. Certain topics - such as Greek mathematics, abstract algebra, set theory, geometry and the philosophy of mathematics - are discussed in detail. Appendices outline from scratch the proofs of two of the most celebrated limitative results of mathematics: the insolubility of the problem of doubling the cube and trisecting an arbitrary angle, and the Goedel incompleteness theorems. Additional appendices contain brief accounts of smooth infinitesimal analysis - a new approach to the use of infinitesimals in the calculus - and of the philosophical thought of the great 20th century mathematician Hermann Weyl. Readership: Students and teachers of mathematics, science and philosophy. The greater part of the book can be read and enjoyed by anyone possessing a good high school mathematics background.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
ISBN-13
9781402000072
eBay Product ID (ePID)
95738135
Product Key Features
Author
J. BELL
Publication Name
The Art of the Intelligible: an Elementary Survey of Mathematics in Its Conceptual Development
Format
Paperback
Language
English
Subject
Science, Mathematics
Publication Year
2001
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
250 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
240mm
Item Width
160mm
Volume
63
Item Weight
830g
Additional Product Features
Title_Author
J. BELL
Series Title
The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science