This book presents detailed studies of the development of three kinds of number. In the first part the development of the natural numbers from Stone-Age times right up to the present day is examined not only from the point of view of pure history but also taking into account archaeological, anthropological and linguistic evidence. The dramatic change caused by the introduction of logical theories of number in the 19th century is also treated and this part ends with a non-technical account of the very latest developments in the area of G”del's theorem. The second part is concerned with the development of complex numbers and tries to answer the question as to why complex numbers were not introduced before the 16th century and then, by looking at the original materials, shows how they were introduced as a pragmatic device which was only subsequently shown to be theoretically justifiable. The third part concerns the real numbers and examines the distinction that the Greeks made between number and magnitude. It then traces the gradual development of a theory of real numbers up to the precise formulations in the nineteeth century. The importance of the Greek distinction between the number line and the geometric line is brought into sharp focus.This is an new edition of the book which first appeared privately published in 1980 and is now out of print. Substantial revisions have been made throughout the text, incorporating new material which has recently come to light and correcting a few relatively minor errors. The third part on real numbers has been very extensively revised and indeed the last chapter has been almost completely rewritten. Many revisions are the results of comments from earlier readers of the book.

This book presents detailed studies of the development of three kinds of number. In the first part the development of the natural numbers from Stone-Age times right up to the present day is examined not only from the point of view of pure history but also taking into account archaeological, anthropological and linguistic evidence. The dramatic change caused by the introduction of logical theories of number in the 19th century is also treated and this part ends with a non-technical account of the very latest developments in the area of Gödel's theorem. The second part is concerned with the development of complex numbers and tries to answer the question as to why complex numbers were not introduced before the 16th century and then, by looking at the original materials, shows how they were introduced as a pragmatic device which was only subsequently shown to be theoretically justifiable. The third part concerns the real numbers and examines the distinction that the Greeks made between number and magnitude. It then traces the gradual development of a theory of real numbers up to the precise formulations in the nineteeth century. The importance of the Greek distinction between the number line and the geometric line is brought into sharp focus.This is an new edition of the book which first appeared privately published in 1980 and is now out of print. Substantial revisions have been made throughout the text, incorporating new material which has recently come to light and correcting a few relatively minor errors. The third part on real numbers has been very extensively revised and indeed the last chapter has been almost completely rewritten. Many revisions are the results of comments from earlier readers of the book.

This unique volume presents an ecocultural and embodied perspective on understanding numbers and their history in indigenous communities. The book focuses on research carried out in Papua New Guinea and Oceania, and will help educators understand humanity's use of numbers, and their development and change. The authors focus on indigenous mathematics education in the early years and shine light on the unique processes and number systems of non-European styled cultural classrooms. This new perspective for mathematics education challenges educators who have not heard about the history of number outside of Western traditions, and can help them develop a rich cultural competence in their own practice and a new vision of foundational number concepts such as large numbers, groups, and systems. Featured in this invaluable resource are some data and analyses that chief researcher Glendon Angove Lean collected while living in Papua New Guinea before his death in 1995. Among the topics covered: The diversity of counting system cycles, where they were established, and how they may have developed. A detailed exploration of number systems other than base 10 systems including: 2-cycle, 5-cycle, 4- and 6-cycle systems, and body-part tally systems. Research collected from major studies such as Geoff Smith's and Sue Holzknecht’s studies of Morobe Province's multiple counting systems, Charly Muke's study of counting in the Wahgi Valley in the Jiwaka Province, and Patricia Paraide's documentation of the number and measurement knowledge of her Tolai community. The implications of viewing early numeracy in the light of this book’s research, and ways of catering to diversity in mathematics education. In this volume Kay Owens draws on recent research from diverse fields such as linguistics and archaeology to present their exegesis on the history of number reaching back ten thousand years ago. Researchers and educators interested in the history of mathematical sciences will find History of Number: Evidence from Papua New Guinea and Oceania to be an invaluable resource.

Unusually clear, accessible introduction covers counting, properties of numbers, prime numbers, Aliquot parts, Diophantine problems, congruences, much more. Bibliography.

"From the time of Pythagoras, we have been tempted to treat numbers as the ultimate or only truth. This book tells the history of that habit of thought. But more, it argues that the logic of counting sacrifices much of what makes us human, and that we have a responsibility to match the objects of our attention to the forms of knowledge that do them justice. Humans have extended the insights and methods of number and mathematics to more and more aspects of the world, even to their gods and their religions.Today those powers are greater than ever, as computation is applied to virtually every aspect of human activity.But the rules of mathematics do not strictly apply to many things-from elementary particles to people-in the world.By subjecting such things to the laws of logic and mathematics, we gain some kinds of knowledge, but we also lose others. How do our choices about what parts of the world to subject to the logics of mathematics affect how we live and how we die?This question is rarely asked, but it is urgent, because the sciences built upon those laws now govern so much of our knowledge, from physics to psychology.Number and Knowledge sets out to ask it. In chapters proceeding chronologically from Ancient Greek philosophy and the rise of monotheistic religions to the emergence of modern physics and economics, the book traces how ideals, practices, and habits of thought formed over millennia have turned number into the foundation-stone of human claims to knowledge and certainty.But the book is also a philosophical and poetic exhortation to take responsibility for that history, for the knowledge it has produced, and for the many aspects of the world and of humanity that it ignores or endangers.To understand what can be counted and what can't is to embrace the ethics of purposeful knowing"--

Learn the history of number systems with this engaging book! This text combines mathematics and literacy skills, and uses practical, real-world examples of problem solving to teach math and language arts content. Students will learn place value while reading about the number systems of the Egyptians and Romans, and also learn important vocabulary terms like cuneiform, binary systems, roman numerals, and more! The full-color images, math charts, and practice problems make learning math easy and fun. The table of contents, glossary, and index will further understanding of math and reading concepts. The Math Talk problems and Explore Math sidebars provide additional learning opportunities while developing students’ higher-order thinking skills.

A landmark work in the field of mathematics, History of the Theory of Numbers - I traces the development of number theory from ancient civilizations to the early 20th century. Written by mathematician Leonard Eugene Dickson, this book is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the history of one of the most fundamental branches of mathematics. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.