Excursions in the History of Mathematics [Hardcover]

This book comprises five parts. The first three contain ten historical essays on important topics: number theory, calculus/analysis, and proof, respectively.? Part four deals with several historically oriented courses, and Part five provides biographies of five mathematicians who played major roles in the historical events described in the first four parts of the work.

Excursions in the History of Mathematics was written with several goals in mind: to arouse mathematics teachers interest in the history of their subject; to encourage mathematics teachers with at least some knowledge of the history of mathematics to offer courses with a strong historical component; and to provide an historical perspective on a number of basic topics taught in mathematics courses.

This book comprises five parts. The first three contain ten historical essays on important topics: number theory, calculus/analysis, and proof, respectively.? Part four deals with several historically oriented courses, and Part five provides biographies of five mathematicians who played major roles in the historical events described in the first four parts of the work.
Each of the first three partson number theory, calculus/analysis, and proofbegins with a survey of the respective subject and is followed in more depth by specialized themes. Among the specialized themes are:? Fermat as the founder of modern number theory, Fermats Last Theorem from Fermat to Wiles, the history of the function concept, paradoxes, the principle of continuity, and an historical perspective on recent debates about proof.
The fourth part contains essays describing mathematics courl#