Philosophy Fun of Algebra (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Mary Everest Boole

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1330360656 ISBN 13: 9781330360651

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

See how algebra grows from simple facts into clear, practical thinking for everyday life.

This non-fiction work presents algebra as a tool for honest reasoning. It explains how we move from arithmetic to algebra by treating the unknown as a real quantity and by organizing what we know (data) so we can discover what we don’t yet know. The book blends ideas about logic, learning, and how to teach these concepts in approachable ways for curious readers of all ages.

Readers will encounter stories and methods that show how algebra can be used beyond numbers. It discusses the idea that the mind’s tools should be learned with care, not to deceive others or oneself, and it introduces practical teaching aids like sewing cards to explore dimensions. The text also contrasts careful, solid reasoning with the tempting but risky use of imaginary ideas, illustrating how true math stays grounded while expanding imagination.

• Learn why the unknown is treated like a number and how data shapes problems


• See how the Boole method uses logic to explore new ideas safely


• Explore hands-on teaching aids that illuminate dimensions in math


• Understand the balance between imagination and disciplined reasoning

Ideal for readers who want a thoughtful, accessible approach to algebra and its foundations in logic.

About this title

About the Author

Mary Everest Boole (1832, Wickwar, Gloucestershire – 1916) was a self-taught mathematician who is best known as an author of didactic works on mathematics, such as Philosophy and Fun of Algebra, and as the wife of fellow mathematician George Boole. Her progressive ideas on education, as expounded in The Preparation of the Child for Science, included encouraging children to explore mathematics through playful activities such as 'curve stitching'. Her life is of interest to feminists as an example of how women made careers in an academic system that did not welcome them. She was born Mary Everest in England, the daughter of Revd Thomas Roupell Everest, Rector of Wickwar, and Mary nee Ryall. Her uncle George Everest gave his name to Mount Everest. She spent the first part of her life in France where she received an education in mathematics from a private tutor. On returning to England at the age of 11 she continued to pursue her interest in mathematics through self-instruction. George Boole became her tutor in 1852 and on the death of her father in 1855 they married and moved to Cork County, Ireland. Mary greatly contributed as an editor to Boole's The Laws of Thought, a work on algebraic logic. She had five daughters by him. She was widowed in 1864, at the age of 32, and returned to England where she was offered a post as a librarian at Queen's College, London. She also tutored privately in mathematics and developed a philosophy of teaching that involved the use of natural materials and physical activities to encourage an imaginative conception of the subject. Her interest extended beyond mathematics to Darwinian theory, philosophy and psychology and she organised discussion groups on these subjects among others. She died in 1916 at the age of 84.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1330360656
• ISBN 13: 9781330360651
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 99