A Concise History of Mathematics: Fourth Revised Edition (Dover Books on Mathematics) [Paperback]

Dirk J. Struik (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0486602559 | ISBN-13: 978-0486602554 | Publication Date: August 1, 1987 | Edition: 4 Rev Sub

This compact, well-written history covers major mathematical ideas and techniques from the ancient Near East to 20th-century computer theory, surveying the works of Archimedes, Pascal, Gauss, Hilbert, and many others. "The author's ability as a first-class historian as well as an able mathematician has enabled him to produce a work which is unquestionably one of the best." — Nature.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; 4 Rev Sub edition (August 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486602559
• ISBN-13: 978-0486602554
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #446,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > History & Philosophy > General
  • #86 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Mathematics > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pocket size Bible of History of Mathematics, August 13, 2000

By 

Joel Sanchez Gonzalez (San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Concise History of Mathematics: Fourth Revised Edition (Dover Books on Mathematics) (Paperback)

If you are looking for a book that clearly describes the evolution of mathematics, you don't need to try more, this book is for you.

Struik's book, "A Concise History of Mathematics", is a well documented book with the main contributions, dates, and names of the people involved in the development of mathematics from their ancients origins until the first half of the 20th century.

Struik's style of writing is clear and, how the title of the book says, concise, highlighting the relevant discoveries made in the field and relating them in order to give a better understanding of the subject.

Reading is easy for all people because Struik avoids to use formulas where it is not necessary, focusing more in the works of the great mathematicians and describing them of a comprehensible way.

Another excellent feature of the book is the great bibliography that contains, with a many references to other books not only in English, but in other languages also.

Somebody would hope to find more mathematical demonstrations and more illustrations, but this is not the objective of the book, contents in a single volume of 228 pages are the most important facts of the history of the mathematics, therefore, the relationship between cost and content is excellent.

A Concise History of Mathematics is a classical book, written by a world wide recognized author, of a clear and concise manner.

All people interested in this area of the mathematics must have this book in their shelf.

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent context, December 30, 2003

By 

Steven T. Cannon (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Concise History of Mathematics: Fourth Revised Edition (Dover Books on Mathematics) (Paperback)

This is a particularly clear-minded view of the progression of mathematical history. The book serves to convince that understanding math (as possibly opposed to science) requires a knowledge of its history. The great advance of twentieth century mathematics is its achievement of higher levels of abstraction. But without the history this abstraction is just puff. This book leaves off at 1945.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mathematics Hystorical Development, June 17, 2010

By 

Yasuke "Yasuke" (Moon) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Concise History of Mathematics: Fourth Revised Edition (Dover Books on Mathematics) (Paperback)

When I was student ( from elementary school to university level ), I was never taught of history of mathematics ( at least in an organized and formalized way,sometimes there were references to singular and surprising anecdote as Gauss child summing up the first 100 natural numbers in few seconds). I think this is a lack ( probably it is not possible to teach everything in the already rich school program ) of the educational system. For this reason , enjoying mathematics ( especially the simplest one ), I was looking for something to explain and describe how the mathematical thinking developped with time. At the same time, I did not have much time, so I thought from the title that this book was the right one for my needs. Although all the history of mathematics from its dawn to about 1950 and written in a short book is something very difficult to realize ( if not impossible ), I very reccomend this beautiful book, where the history of mathematics is well explained in terms of main thinking lines. Furthermore this book is rich of interesting anecdotes and details on personal and accademic relations among the greatest mathematicians of all time.