A collection of English translations of key mathematical texts from the five most important ancient and medieval non-Western mathematical cultures.
Who is it for? Anyone with at least an undergraduate degree in mathematics who wants to learn about non-Western developments.
Presentation: The layout is academic in style. There does not appear to be a consistent use of fonts.
Would you recommend it? The publisher's statements about the importance of the book for mathematicians or teachers are slightly exaggerated. The book will be of greater interest to historians of mathematics than it will be to those currently doing mathematics. The former may use this on a daily basis, the latter only occasionally. Enlightened teachers not pressurised by a wide range of pupil abilities, or curricular constraints, may find this a useful sourcebook.
Chris Howls is senior lecturer in applied mathematics at Southampton University.
The Mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam: A Sourcebook. First Edition
Editor - Victor J. Katz
Publisher - Princeton University Press
Pages - 712
Price - £44.95
ISBN - 9780691114859
