J. L. Berggren

This book presents an account of selected topics from key mathematical works of medieval Islam, based on the Arabic texts themselves. Many of these works had a great influence on mathematics in Western Europe. Topics covered in the first edition include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and numerical approximation; this second edition adds number theory and combinatorics. Additionally, the author has included selections from the western regions of medieval Islam—both North Africa and Spain. The author puts the works into their historical context and includes numerous examples of how mathematics interacted with Islamic society.

Dieses Buch enthält Episoden aus der Mathematik des mittelalterlichen Islam, die einen großen Einfluss auf die Entwicklung der Mathematik hatten. Der Autor beschreibt das Thema in seinem historischen Zusammenhang und bezieht sich hierbei auf arabische Texte. Zu den behandelten Gebieten gehören die Entdeckung der Dezimalbrüche, Geometrie, ebene und sphärische Trigonometrie, Algebra und die Näherungslösungen von Gleichungen. Außerdem werden eine Reihe von Anwendungen dieser Gebiete in der Gesellschaft des Islam, wie beispielsweise im Steuerwesen, im Erbfall, bei der Berechnung von Gebetszeiten und der Geometrie der Ornamente dargestellt. Das Buch ist für Mathematikhistoriker sowie für Mathematikstudenten von großem Interesse. Die Präsentation ist für jedermann mit Mathematikkenntnissen einer weiterführenden Schule leicht zugänglich.

This book contains a translation and study of "Euclid's Phaenomena", a work which once formed part of the mathematical training of astronomers from Central Asia to Western Europe. Included is an introduction that sets Euclid's geometry of the celestial sphere, and its application to the astronomy of his day, into its historical context for readers not already familiar with it. So no knowledge of astronomy or advanced mathematics is necessary for an understanding of the work. The book shows mathematical astronomy shortly before the invention of trigonometry, which allowed the calculation of exact results and the subsequent composition of "Ptolemy's Almagest"." The Phaenomena" itself begins with an introduction (possibly not by Euclid) followed by eighteen propositions set out in geometrical style about how arcs of the zodiacal circle move across the sky. The astronomical application is to the small arc of that circle occupied by the Sun, but the Sun is not mentioned. This work and the (roughly) contemporaneous treatises of Autolycus and Aristarchos form a corpus of the oldest extant works on mathematical astronomy. Together with "Euclid's Optics", one has the beginnings of the history of science as an application of mathematics.

This book documents the history of pi from the dawn of mathematical time to the present. One of the beauties of the literature on pi is that it allows for the inclusion of very modern, yet accessible, mathematics. The articles on pi collected herein include selections from the mathematical and computational literature over four millennia, a variety of historical studies on the cultural significance of the number, and an assortment of anecdotal, fanciful, and simply amusing pieces. For this new edition, the authors have updated the original material while adding new material of historical and cultural interest. There is a substantial exposition of the recent history of the computation of digits of pi, a discussion of the normality of the distribution of the digits, new translations of works by Viete and Huygen, as well as Kaplansky's never-before-published "Song of Pi." From the reviews of earlier editions: "Few mathematics books serve a wider potential readership than does a source book and this particular one is admirably designed to cater for a broad spectrum of tastes: professional mathematicians with research interest in related subjects, historians of mathematics, teachers at all levels searching out material for individual talks and student projects, and amateurs who will find much to amuse and inform them in this leafy tome. The authors are to be congratulated on their good taste in preparing such a rich and varied banquet with which to celebrate pi."- Roger Webster for the Bulletin of the LMS "The judicious representative selection makes this a useful addition to one's library as a reference book, an enjoyable survey of developments and a source of elegant and deep mathematics of different eras."- Ed Barbeau for MathSciNet "Full of useful formulas and ideas, it is a vast source of inspiration to any mathematician, A level and upwards-a necessity in any maths library."- New Scientist