A History of the Circle: Mathematical Reasoning and the Physical Universe [Paperback]

Ernest Jr. Zebrowski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

"I found the book to be fascinating, and the author's presentations and illustrations of the contrasts bewtween mathematical reasoning and scientific reasoning were especially appealing. The book is rich in history, which is carefully integrated into the discussions, and it includes wonderful illustrations and stories." --The Mathematics Teacher "Zebrowski is a wonderful storyteller, and his choices of topics reveal not only the depth of explanation afforded by the available mathematics but the beauty in the explanations; he succeeds in keeping the explanations accessible to the most general audience." --Choice The concept of the circle is ubiquitous. It can be described mathematically, represented physically, and employed technologically. The circle is an elegant, abstract form that has been transformed by humans into tangible, practical forms to make our lives easier. And yet no one has ever discovered a true mathematical circle. Rainbows are fuzzy, car tires are flat on the bottom, and even the most precise roller bearings have measurable irregularities. Ernest Zebrowski, Jr., discusses how investigations into the circle have contributed enormously to our current knowledge of the physical universe. Beginning with the ancient mathematicians and culminating in twentieth-century theories of space and time, the mathematics of the circle has pointed many investigators in fruitful directions in their quests to unravel nature's secrets. Johannes Kepler, for example, triggered a scientific revolution in 1609 when he challenged the conception of the earth's circular motion around the sun. Arab and European builders instigated a golden age of mosque and cathedral building when they questioned the Roman structural arches that were limited to geometrical semicircles. Throughout his book, Zebrowski emphasizes the concepts underlying these mathematicians' calculations, and how these concepts are linked to real-life examples. Substantiated by easy-to-follow mathematical reasoning and clear illustrations, this accessible book presents a novel and interesting discussion of the circle in technology, culture, history, and science. Ernest Zebrowski, Jr., hold professorships in science and mathematics education at Southern University in Baton Rouge, and in physics at Pennsylvania College of Technology of the Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of Perils of a Restless Planet: Scientific Perspectives on Natural Disasters and The Last Days of St. Pierre: The Volcanic Disaster That Claimed 30,000 Lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

After Zebrowski's well-received Perils of a Restless Planet (LJ 7/97), this new book is a disappointment. Only partially about circles, the text aims "to examine [for the general reader] the broader relationship between mathematical reasoning and the physical universe." Most of the physical examples are common ones, from historical models of the solar system to relativity theory, which standard physics and astronomy texts explain better and just as engagingly. An exception is an intriguing discussion of some techniques used in the construction of the pyramids. The level of exposition varies greatly: a whole chapter is devoted to the elementary relationships of linear dimension, area, and volume, whereas the discussion of wave phenomena uses partial differential equations. There are occasional errors, such as the statement that a neutron star comprises "billions of protons and neutrons," and curious terminology: the list of regular polyhedra repeatedly includes the hexahedron rather than the cube. The endnotes provide appropriate suggestions for further reading, some popular, some scholarly. For larger public libraries.AKristine Fowler, Mathematics Lib., Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Substantiated by easy-to-follow mathematical reasoning and clear illustrations...interesting discussion[s] of the circle in technology, culture, history, and science." -- Zentralblatt für Didaktik der Mathematik

"The book is rich in history, which is carefully integrated into the discussions, and it includes wonderful illustrations and stories." -- The Mathematics Teacher

"Zebrowski is a wonderful storyteller..." -- Choice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813528984
• ISBN-13: 978-0813528984
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,830,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A DECIDEDLY PLEASANT JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF SCIENCE, January 22, 2000

By 

Kathleen Werner Millward (Indiana, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of the Circle: Mathematical Reasoning and the Physical Universe (Hardcover)

The beauty of Ernest Zebrowski's book, A HISTORY OF THE CIRCLE, is that it was written for everyone, not just for science professors. The author never talks down to his readers. Clearly, Mr. Zebrowski is not just a superb scientist and mathematician: he is also a skilled writer, teacher, philospher, and historian. Like Lewis Thomas, he has a wonderful way of making science come alive. He transports you back into time and makes you feel as if you are right there watching some of the most intriging moments in human history unfold before your eyes. I learned so much from reading this book. You can pick up any chapter at random and find yourself captivated by a fascinating anecdote, a compelling biographical sketch, a thought-provoking question, or a delightful little tidbit of information. The author made me think about things I have never thought about before. Reading this book has given me a newfound appreciation for the importance of the circle as well as a newfound respect for the truly remarkable feats of our early scientists, mathematicians, and architects. So whether you're learning about the life of Albert Einstein or the death of Archimedes; whether you're trying to figure out why old fenceposts were deliberately spaced 9.417 feet apart or how how the ancient Egyptians could have possibly managed to erect thousands of 20-ton blocks 48 stories high; or whether you are discovering that an experienced hunter is often smarter than a computer or that terrified peasants rioted when the Gregorian calendar was adopted because they believed that the pope was actually stealing 10 days of their lives...you will enjoy reading, or even just skimming, A HISTORY OF THE CIRCLE. This book will change the way you look at nature: you will see things you never saw before. It might even change the way you look at yourself. I was delighted to discover, for example, that I was made of stardust, but I must say it was a bit unsettling to learn that I am now a tad older than the sun which, according to Mr. Zebrowski, is "barely middle-aged."

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I was looking for (and I didn't even know it!), December 7, 2000

By 

Autodidact Andy "IndiAndy" (Golden State California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of the Circle: Mathematical Reasoning and the Physical Universe (Hardcover)

What a delightful discovery! This book served to effortlessly broaden my knowledge about applied mathematics. I have to recommend this book to all - and especially towards those, like myself, who are frustrated with our own mathematical ignorance... I am a bit of a compulsive book buyer and I don't always make an effort to read each book in my huge collection. I'm very happy I made the time to thoroughly read this one!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Looking For Pi Info? Its Not Here., July 15, 2001

By 

Wayne (Palmer, AK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of the Circle: Mathematical Reasoning and the Physical Universe (Hardcover)

The first chapter BREIFLY addresses pi, so this not a good source for those of you that may have drawn the same conclusions about the title that I did. However, if you've ever wondered why there are 360 degrees in a circle and how that relates to time or other interesting trivia, this is a great source. I do recomend it to anyone with an intrest in the basic concepts of Physics which somehow work themseves in everywhere. The title would be more acurate if it removed "A History of the Circle" and just left it with "Mathmatical Reasoning and the Physical Universe" because it lacks far to much of the first subject.