Calculus Gems

The classic book - back in print! The first half of Calculus Gems is a biographical history of mathematics from the earliest times to the late nineteenth century. The author shows how science - and mathematics in particular - is something that people do, and not merely a mass of observed data and abstract theory. He demonstrates the profound connections that join mathematics to the history of philosophy and also to the broader intellectual and social history of Western civilization. The second half contains nuggets that Simmons has collected from number theory, geometry, science, etc., which he has used in his mathematics classes, meaning that it can be used as a supplement in a Calculus course, or a History of Mathematics course. The overall aim of this book is to answer the question, ‘What is mathematics for?’ and with its inevitable answer, ‘To delight the mind and help us understand the world.’

• Embraces as an audience those students who are attracted to mathematics and those who are not yet, but might be • Topics are arranged in an order roughly corresponding to the order of the ideas in most calculus courses • Problem sets and solutions are included to advance learning possibilities

Preface; Part A. Brief Lives: The ancients; The forerunners; The early moderns; The mature moderns; Part B. Memorable Mathematics: Answers to problems; Index.