A Little History of Mathematics

"Mathematics is fundamental to our daily lives. Science, computing, economics--all aspects of modern life rely on some kind of maths. But how did our ancestors think about numbers? How did they use mathematics to explain and understand the world around them? Where do numbers even come from? ... Lawrence traces the ... history of mathematics from the Egyptians and Babylonians to Renaissance masters and enigma codebreakers. Like literature, music, or philosophy, mathematics has a rich history of breakthroughs, creativity, and experimentation. And its story is a global one. We see Chinese mathematical art from 200 BCE, the invention of algebra in Baghdad's House of Wisdom, and sangaku geometrical theorems at Japanese shrines. Lawrence goes beyond the familiar names of Newton and Pascal, exploring the prominent role women have played in the history of maths, including Emmy Noether and Maryam Mirzakhani"--Provided by publisher.