Mathematics has a rich history from cultures around the world, which can extend and enrich the appreciation and learning of mathematical concepts. This book provides inspiration for mathematics educators by exploring the development of mathematical concepts from historical and cultural perspectives. It will also be of interest to general readers with an interest in mathematics. Each chapter uses original historical material to introduce a mathematical concept that is then explored through new and unusual perspectives. The book presents several new mathematical “discoveries and inventions”, and offers a re-interpretation of traditional approaches to a range of mathematical problems, doing so in a rigorous way. Topics discussed here include numeracy, the abacus, Mesopotamian mathematics, public-key cryptography, Pythagoras’ theorem, the holistic nature of trigonometry, and an introduction to integral calculus, among many others. Throughout is reflected the author’s enthusiastic style of teaching and his entertaining approach to mathematics, serving to highlight active engagement with significant mathematical problems and hands-on modelling to build deep understanding of the concepts.

Important study focuses on the revival and assimilation of ancient Greek mathematics in the 13th-16th centuries, via Arabic science, and the 16th-century development of symbolic algebra. 1968 edition. Bibliography.