Review
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"Mazur (Euclid in the Rainforest) gives readers the
fascinating history behind the mathematical symbols we use, and
completely take for granted, every day. Mathematical notation
turns numbers into sentences--or, to the uninitiated, a
mysterious and impenetrable code. Mazur says the story of math
symbols begins some 3,700 years ago, in ancient Babylon, where
merchants incised tallies of goods on cuneiform s, along
with the first place holder--a blank space. Many early cultures
used letters for both numbers and an alphabet, but convenient
objects like rods, fingers, and abacus beads, also proved
popular. Mazur shows how our 'modern' system began in India,
picking up the numeral 'zero' on its way to Europe, where it came
into common use in the 16th century, thanks to travelers and
merchants as well as mathematicians like Fibonacci. Signs for
addition, subtraction, roots, and equivalence followed, but only
became standardized through the influence of scientists and
mathematicians like René Detes and Gottfried Leibniz. Mazur's
lively and accessible writing makes what could otherwise be a
dry, arcane history as entertaining as it is informative."
(Publishers Weekly)
"[A] fascinating narrative. . . . This is a nuanced,
intelligently framed chronicle packed with nuggets--such as the
fact that Hindus, not Arabs, introduced Arabic numerals. In a
word: enlightening."---George Szpiro, Nature
"Mazur begins by illustrating how the ancient Incas and Mayans
managed to write specific, huge numbers. Then, for more than 200
pages, he traces the history of division signs, square roots, pi,
exponents, graph axes and other symbols in the context of
, communication, and analysis." (Washington Post)
"Mazur delivers a solid exposition of an element of mathematics
that is fundamental to its history." (Library Journal)
"Mazur treats only a subset of F. Cajori's monumental A History
of Mathematical Notation (Dover, 1993 first edition 1922) and
there is overlap with many other mathematical history books, but
Mazur adds new findings and ins and it is so much more
entertaining . . . and these features make it an interesting
addition to the existing literature for anybody with only a
slight interest in mathematics or its history." (European
Mathematical Society)
"Symbols like '+' and '=' are so ingrained that it's hard to
conceive of math without them. But a new book, Enlightening
Symbols: A Short History of Mathematical Notation and its Hidden
Power, offers a surprising reminder: Until the early 16th
century, math contained no symbols at all."---Kevin Hartnett,
Boston Globe
"Enlightening Symbols retraces the winding road that has led to
the way we now teach, study, and conceive mathematics. . . .
Thanks to Mazur's playful approach to the subject, Enlightening
Symbols offers an enjoyable read."---Gaia Donati, Science
"If you enjoy reading about history, languages and science, then
you'll enjoy this book. . . . The best part is the writing is
compelling enough that you don't have to be a mathematician to
enjoy this informative book."---Guardian.com's, GrrlScientist
"[I]nformative, highly readable and scholarly."---Brian Rotman,
Literary Review
"[T]his inful account of the historical development of a
highly characteristic feature of the mathematical enterprise also
represents a valuable contribution to our understanding of the
nature of mathematics."---Eduard Glas, Mathematical Reviews
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From the Inside Flap
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"This book provides an inful synthesis of the historical and
mental revolutions that created humanity's most useful
symbols--mathematical expressions."--Stanislas Dehaene, author
ofReading in the Brain
"Mathematical symbols are much more than squiggles on paper--they
serve as potent sources of in into a wonderfully complex
language. In this book, Joseph Mazur takes us on a fascinating
journey into the origins of these symbols. You cannot ask for a
better guide."--Mario Livio, astrophysicist and author of
Brilliant Blunders
"Joseph Mazur teaches us that the history of mathematical
notation is the history of human civilization."--Kenneth A.
Ribet, University of California, Berkeley
"In this thoughtful, entertaining, and carefully researched book,
Mazur lays out the development of the mathematical notations and
symbols that we take for granted. He offers a fascinating look at
the history of the conventions of writing mathematical ideas, and
shows how important our choice of conventions has been for the
growth of mathematical knowledge."--Emily R. Grosholz, author
ofRepresentation and Productive Ambiguity in Mathematics and the
Sciences
"Worldwide, mathematicians speak a common symbolic language.
Mazur traces how symbols developed and gradually took hold,
uniting arithmetic, algebra, and geometry to give us metaphors as
powerful as those of poems. A fascinating history!"--Philip
Holmes, coauthor of Celestial Encounters
"A curiosity cabinet of mathematical gems, curated by Joseph
Mazur's cosmopolitan good taste."--Siobhan Roberts, author ofWind
Wizard
"Enlightening Symbols explains the origins of symbols used in
mathematics. But this fun book is so much more than this. Filled
with interesting stories, captivating material, and delightful
observations, it offers readers a better understanding of the
nature of mathematics and a wonderful overview of mathematical
history."--Dominic Klyve, Central Washington University
"An enjoyable and informative tour of mathematics history,
Enlightening Symbols describes how our modern system of notation
led to the abstraction we work with today. This is an important
and interesting story."--Anna Pierrehumbert, Trinity School
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