Worlds Out of Nothing: A Course in the History of Geometry in the 19th Century (Springer Undergraduate Mathematics Series) - Softcover

Gray, Jeremy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846286328 ISBN 13: 9781846286322

Publisher: Springer London, 2010

Synopsis

Based on the latest historical research, "Worlds out of Nothing" is the first book to provide a course on the history of geometry in the 19th Century. Topics covered in the first part of the book are projective geometry, especially the concept of duality, and non-Euclidean geometry. The book then moves on to the study of the singular points of algebraic curves (Plucker's equations) and their role in resolving a paradox in the theory of duality; to Riemann's work on differential geometry; and to Beltrami's role in successfully establishing non-Euclidean geometry as a rigorous mathematical subject. The final part of the book considers how projective geometry rose to prominence, and looks at Poincare's ideas about non-Euclidean geometry and their physical and philosophical significance. Three chapters are devoted to writing and assessing work in the history of mathematics, with examples of sample questions in the subject, advice on how to write essays, and comments on what instructors should be looking for.

About this title

About the Author

Jeremy Gray is Professor of the History of Mathematics and Director of the Centre for the History of the Mathematical Sciences at the Open University in England, and is an Honorary Professor in the Mathematics Department at the University of Warwick. He is the author, co-author, or editor of 14 books on the history of mathematics in the 19th and 20th Centuries and is internationally recognised as an authority on the subject. His book, Ideas of Space, is a standard text on the history of geometry (see competitive literature).

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer London
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1846286328
• ISBN 13: 9781846286322
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 404