John Napier: Life, Logarithms, and Legacy - Hardcover

Havil, Julian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691155704 ISBN 13: 9780691155708

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2014

Synopsis

Title: John Napier( Life Logarithms and Legacy) <>Binding: Hardcover <>Author: JulianHavil <>Publisher: PrincetonUniversityPress

About this title

Review:

"Havil is an enthusiastic and engaging writer--he brings to life John Napier's original work and gives an account of his mathematical ideas. Readers will gain an appreciation for Napier's brilliance and for an era when scientific computation was still in its infancy. It's about time someone wrote a book on this subject for a general audience."--Glen Van Brummelen, author of Heavenly Mathematics

"Offering a thorough look into Napier's contributions, family lineage, and life, this effectively organized book will be most useful to general readers and those with interests in Napier the man, the Reformation, early seventeenth-century mathematics, and Napier's influence on logarithms and scientific developments of the time."--Kathy Clark, Florida State University

"Havil has crafted a complete biography of John Napier, including detailed explanations of his mathematical creations, all in the proper historical context. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the background and uses of the logarithm, as well as the significance of Napier's achievement."--Paul C. Pasles, author of Benjamin Franklin's Numbers

"In this engaging book, we learn more about Napier the mathematician, the religious zealot, the person."---Devorah Bennu, The Guardian

"I'm sure after reading this entertaining and enjoyable book, Napier will climb some rungs on your ladder of famous mathematicians."---A. Bultheel, European Mathematical Society

"With this book, the author continues his impressive series of illuminating, accessible monographs on the history of mathematics."---Bart J. I. Van Kerkhove, Mathematical Review

"This book fills a clear gap in published work on Napier and is likely to be the standard point of departure for those interested in his life and work for some years to come."---Mark McCartney, London Mathematical Society Newsletter

"It is clearly a very interesting book."---Ernesto Nungesser, Irish Math Society Bulletin

"Havil's attention to detail is without equal in the opinion of this reviewer."---John A. Adam, Scotia

"John Napier fills a gap concerning an important, and often ignored, chapter of mathematical history."---George Szpiro, Nature

About the Author:

Julian Havil is the author of Gamma: Exploring Euler’s Constant, Nonplussed!: Mathematical Proof of Implausible Ideas, Impossible?: Surprising Solutions to Counterintuitive Conundrums, and The Irrationals: A Story of the Numbers You Can’t Count On (all Princeton). He is a retired former master at Winchester College, England, where he taught mathematics for more than three decades.

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0691155704
• ISBN 13: 9780691155708
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320