Problem Solved!: The Great Breakthroughs in Mathematics

Description

Robert Snedden explores the great mathematical breakthroughs in history in this beautiful, full-colour, hardback volume, featuring nearly 200 illustrations and diagrams. As an accomplished writer with a knack for making the most complex scientific subjects accessible, Robert explains how our knowledge of mathematics has progressed over time in response to a desire to make life easier. Initially, the first great breakthroughs were motivated by very practical problems, but as our understanding of theory advanced, a desire to solve more abstract problems has led to some phenomenal discoveries. Each chapter opens with a helpful overview and timeline of events, putting each breakthrough in perspective. From the inventions of algebra and geometry to probability and the Turing machine and the birth of the computer, Robert Snedden reveals how each fascinating breakthrough paved the way for the next.

Robert Snedden has worked in publishing for more than thirty years as an editor and writer. He is an insatiable autodidact in the grand Scottish tradition and delights in learning new things, particularly concerning science, and in passing on that knowledge via the books he writes. His writing for children and adults has so far ranged across such diverse topics as medical ethics, habitats, engineering, pharmacogenetics and the technology of ancient civilizations.