Mathematics in Historical Context

What would Newton see if he looked out his bedroom window? Mathematics in Historical Context describes the world around the important mathematicians of the past, and explores the complex interaction between mathematics, mathematicians, and society. It takes the reader on a grand tour of history from the ancient Egyptians to the twentieth century to show how mathematicians and mathematics were affected by the outside world, and at the same time how the outside world was affected by mathematics and mathematicians. Part biography, part mathematics, and part history, this book provides the interested layperson the background to understand mathematics and the history of mathematics, and is suitable for supplemental reading in any history of mathematics course.Mathematics in Historical Context provides the historical background to the development of mathematics. It can be used as a supplemental text to a history of mathematics course, or even as a stand-alone history text.