The Babylonian Theorem: The Mathematical Journey to Pythagoras and Euclid

Rudman, Peter S.

ISBN 10: 159102773X / ISBN 13: 9781591027737

Published by Prometheus, 2010

This book is in good condition, with minimal signs of wear and tear. Seller Inventory # GWKV.159102773X.G

Synopsis:

This engrossing book explores the fascinating history and evolution of mathematics from ancient Babylon and Egypt to Euclid (c. 300 BCE). The Babylonian Theorem shows how the scribes of Babylon and Egypt used visualizations of how plane geometric figures could be partitioned into squares, rectangles, and right angles to invent geometric algebra, and even solve problems we now do using quadratic equations. It then goes on to trace the evolution of these calculations from Egypt and Babylon to India, and then to Pythagoras, Archimedes, and Ptolemy. After a careful analysis of Babylonian geometric algebra, Rudman goes on to formulate a Babylonian Theorem, which he shows was used to derive the Pythagorean Theorem around 1,000 years before its ostensible discovery by Pythagoras himself!

About the Author: Peter S. Rudman (Tel Aviv, Israel), a retired professor of physics at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, is the author of How Mathematics Happened: The First 50,000 Years, which was selected in 2008 as an Outstanding Academic Text by the American Library Association.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Babylonian Theorem: The Mathematical ...
Publisher: Prometheus
Publication Date: 2010
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: good