A Concise History of Mathematics for Philosophers (Elements in the Philosophy of Mathematics)

A Concise History of Mathematics for Philosophers (Elements in the Philosophy of Mathematics)
by: John Stillwell (Author)
Publication Date: 2019/6/6
Language: English
Print Length: 75 pages
ISBN-10: 1108456235
ISBN-13: 9781108456234
Book Description
This Element aims to present an outline of mathematics and its history, with particular emphasis on events that shook up its philosophy. It ranges from the discovery of irrational numbers in ancient Greece to the nineteenth- and twentieth-century discoveries on the nature of infinity and proof. Recurring themes are intuition and logic, meaning and existence, and the discrete and the continuous. These themes have evolved under the influence of new mathematical discoveries and the story of their evolution is, to a large extent, the story of philosophy of mathematics.
About the Author
This Element aims to present an outline of mathematics and its history, with particular emphasis on events that shook up its philosophy. It ranges from the discovery of irrational numbers in ancient Greece to the nineteenth- and twentieth-century discoveries on the nature of infinity and proof. Recurring themes are intuition and logic, meaning and existence, and the discrete and the continuous. These themes have evolved under the influence of new mathematical discoveries and the story of their evolution is, to a large extent, the story of philosophy of mathematics. Read more