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Elements of Mathematics

From Euclid to Gödel
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( 72 ratings, 7 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Elements of Mathematics by John Stillwell delves into the foundational concepts of mathematics, tracing its evolution from ancient to modern times. The book explores various mathematical ideas across arithmetic, geometry, and logic, highlighting their interconnectedness and historical context. It's an illuminating read for anyone interested in understanding how fundamental principles of mathematics have shaped scientific thought.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this enlightening mathematical journey if you appreciate exploring foundational concepts across various branches of mathematics, such as geometry, algebra, and calculus, and seeing how they interconnect. It's ideal for those who are fascinated by the development of mathematical ideas and their application in understanding the natural world.

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Elements of Mathematics takes readers on a fascinating tour that begins in elementary mathematics--but, as John Stillwell shows, this subject is not as elementary or straightforward as one might think. Not all topics that are part of today's elementary mathematics were always considered as such, and great mathematical advances and discoveries had t

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Elements of Mathematics takes readers on a fascinating tour that begins in elementary mathematics—but, as John Stillwell shows, this subject is not as elementary or straightforward as one might think. Not all topics that are part of today's elementary mathematics were always considered as such, and great mathematical advances and discoveries had to occur in order for certain subjects to become "elementary."

Stillwell examines elementary mathematics from a distinctive twenty-first-century viewpoint and describes not only the beauty and scope of the discipline, but also its limits. From Gaussian integers to propositional logic, Stillwell delves into arithmetic, computation, algebra, geometry, calculus, combinatorics, probability, and logic. He discusses how each area ties into more advanced topics to build mathematics as a whole.

Through a rich collection of basic principles, vivid examples, and interesting problems, Stillwell demonstrates that elementary mathematics becomes advanced with the intervention of infinity. Infinity has been observed throughout mathematical history, but the recent development of "reverse mathematics" confirms that infinity is essential for proving well-known theorems, and helps to determine the nature, contours, and borders of elementary mathematics.

Elements of Mathematics gives readers, from high school students to professional mathematicians, the highlights of elementary mathematics and glimpses of the parts of maths beyond its boundaries.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Elements of Mathematics by John Stillwell has been praised for its clear and engaging writing style, making it accessible to readers with varying levels of mathematical understanding. The book presents an exploration of elementary mathematics, touching upon its limitations, the complexities of infinity, and interconnections between different mathematical branches. Reviewers appreciate Stillwell's effort to include historical details and his ability to simplify complex topics while maintaining depth, making it a valuable addition to any mathematician's collection.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691178547

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 November 2017

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 127 b/w illus.

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 709g

Pages: 440

About the Author

John Stillwell is professor of mathematics at the University of San Francisco. He is the author of Reverse Mathematics: Proofs from the Inside Out (Princeton).

Also by John Stillwell

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  • Reverse Mathematics
    This book presents reverse mathematics to a general mathematical audience for the first time. Reverse mathematics is a new field that answers some old questions. In the two thousand years that mathematicians have been deriving theorems from axioms, it has often been asked: which axioms are needed to prove a given theorem? Only in the last two hundred years have...
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  • Reverse Mathematics
    The first book surveying the history and ideas behind reverse mathematics, Reverse Mathematics is a new field that seeks to find the axioms needed to prove given theorems. In Reverse Mathematics, John Stillwell offers a historical and representative view, emphasizing basic analysis and providing a novel approach to logic. By using a minimum of mathematical logic in a well-motivated way,...
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  • The Story of Proof
    How the concept of proof has enabled the creation of mathematical knowledge. The Story of Proof investigates the evolution of the concept of proof—one of the most significant and defining features of mathematical thought—through critical episodes in its history. From the Pythagorean theorem to modern times, and across all major mathematical disciplines, John Stillwell demonstrates that proof is a mathematically...
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