The Pythagorean Theorem : A 4,000-Year History / Eli Maor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Maor, Eli, Author.

Series:

Princeton Science Library ; 71

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Pythagorean theorem--History.

Pythagorean theorem.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (292 pages)

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2019]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

An exploration of one of the most celebrated and well-known theorems in mathematicsBy any measure, the Pythagorean theorem is the most famous statement in all of mathematics. In this book, Eli Maor reveals the full story of this ubiquitous geometric theorem. Although attributed to Pythagoras, the theorem was known to the Babylonians more than a thousand years earlier. Pythagoras may have been the first to prove it, but his proof-if indeed he had one-is lost to us. The theorem itself, however, is central to almost every branch of science, pure or applied. Maor brings to life many of the characters that played a role in its history, providing a fascinating backdrop to perhaps our oldest enduring mathematical legacy.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Color Plates

Preface

Prologue: Cambridge, England, 1993

1. Mesopotamia, 1800 BCE

Sidebar 1: Did the Egyptians Know It?

2. Pythagoras

3. Euclid's Elements

Sidebar 2: The Pythagorean Theorem in Art, Poetry, and Prose

4. Archimedes

5. Translators and Commentators, 500-1500 CE

6. François Viète Makes History

7. From the Infinite to the Infinitesimal

Sidebar 3: A Remarkable Formula by Euler

8. 371 Proofs, and Then Some

Sidebar 4: The Folding Bag

Sidebar 5: Einstein Meets Pythagoras

Sidebar 6: A Most Unusual Proof

9. A Theme and Variations

Sidebar 7: A Pythagorean Curiosity

Sidebar 8: A Case of Overuse

10. Strange Coordinates

11. Notation, Notation, Notation

12. From Flat Space to Curved Spacetime

Sidebar 9: A Case of Misuse

13. Prelude to Relativity

14. From Bern to Berlin, 1905-1915

Sidebar 10: Four Pythagorean Brainteasers

15. But Is It Universal?

16. Afterthoughts

Epilogue: Samos, 2005

Appendixes

Chronology

Bibliography

Illustrations Credits

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 26. Nov 2019)

ISBN:

9780691199498

0691199493

OCLC:

1114970320