Illustrated throughout in colour and black and white
Publishing Details
Publisher
Thames & Hudson Ltd
Imprint
Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publication Date
16 February 1998
Publication Country
United Kingdom
Description
Numbers are all around us and we take them for granted. Who first invented them? How old are they, and how were they developed? How did they come to represent abstract, universal concepts? How do they vary in different parts of the world today? Who invented algebra? Geometry? Calculus? Zero? How do these ideas affect our daily lives? This information-packed book uses clear language and over 130 illustrations to describe the basic principles of numbers - arithmetic, whole numbers, natural numbers, the concepts of zero and infinity - as well as the ways in which numbers have been used in art and other disciplines.
Author Biography
Denis Guedj is a professor of the history of science at the University of Paris-VIII, where he has also taught mathematics and film. As well as being a filmmaker and performer, he is author of numerous books on the history of mathematics and science.
