By any measure, the Pythagorean theorem is the most famous statement in all of mathematics. In this book, Eli Maor reveals the full story of this ubiquitous geometric theorem. Maor shows that the theorem, although attributed to Pythagoras, was known to the Babylonians more than a thousand years earlier. Pythagoras may have been the first to prove it, but his proof - if indeed he had one - is lost to us. The theorem itself, however, is central to almost every branch of science, pure or applied. Maor brings to life many of the characters that played a role in the development of the Pythagorean theorem, providing a fascinating backdrop to perhaps our oldest enduring mathematical legacy.
By:
Eli Maor
Imprint: Princeton University Pres
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: PSL ed
Dimensions:
Height: 235mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 18mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9780691148236
ISBN 10: 0691148236
Series: Princeton Science Library
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 26 October 2010
Recommended Age: From 14 to 17 years
Audience:
General/trade
,
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
ELT Advanced
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Color Plates ix Preface xi Prologue: Cambridge, England, 1993 1 Chapter 1: Mesopotamia, 1800 bce 4 Sidebar 1: Did the Egyptians Know It? 13 Chapter 2: Pythagoras 17 Chapter 3: Euclid's Elements 32 Sidebar 2: The Pythagorean Theorem in Art, Poetry, and Prose 45 Chapter 4: Archimedes 50 Chapter 5: Translators and Commentators, 500-1500 ce 57 Chapter 6: Francois Viete Makes History 76 Chapter 7: From the Infinite to the Infinitesimal 82 Sidebar 3: A Remarkable Formula by Euler 94 Chapter 8: 371 Proofs, and Then Some 98 Sidebar 4: The Folding Bag 115 Sidebar 5: Einstein Meets Pythagoras 117 Sidebar 6: A Most Unusual Proof 119 Chapter 9: A Theme and Variations 123 Sidebar 7: A Pythagorean Curiosity 140 Sidebar 8: A Case of Overuse 142 Chapter 10: Strange Coordinates 145 Chapter 11: Notation, Notation, Notation 158 Chapter 12: From Flat Space to Curved Spacetime 168 Sidebar 9: A Case of Misuse 177 Chapter 13: Prelude to Relativity 181 Chapter 14: From Bern to Berlin, 1905-1915 188 Sidebar 10: Four Pythagorean Brainteasers 197 Chapter 15: But Is It Universal? 201 Chapter 16: Afterthoughts 208 Epilogue: Samos, 2005 213 Appendixes A. How did the Babylonians Approximate? 219 B. Pythagorean Triples 221 C. Sums of Two Squares 223 D. A Proof that is Irrational 227 E. Archimedes' Formula for Circumscribing Polygons 229 F. Proof of some Formulas from Chapter 7 231 G. Deriving the Equation x2/3 ??y2/3 ??1 235 H. Solutions to Brainteasers 237 Chronology 241 Bibliography 247 Illustrations Credits 251 Index 253
Eli Maor is the author of Venus in Transit , Trigonometric Delights, To Infinity and Beyond , and e: The Story of a Number (all Princeton). He teaches the history of mathematics at Loyola University in Chicago and at the Graham School of General Education at the University of Chicago.
Reviews for The Pythagorean Theorem: A 4,000-Year History
This excellent biography of the theorem is like a history of thought written in lines and circles, moving from ancient clay tablets to Einstein's blackboards... There is something intoxicating about seeing one truth revealed in so many ways. It all makes for hours of glorious mathematical distraction. -- Ben Longstaff New Scientist [The Pythagorean Theorem] is aimed at the reader with an interest in the history of mathematics. It should also appeal to most well-educated people...It is a story based on a theme and guided by a timeline...As a popular account of important ideas and their development, the book should be read by anyone with a good education. It deserves to succeed. -- Peter M. Neumann Times Higher Education Supplement Based on this recent book, Maor just keeps getting better. Already recognized for his excellent books on infinity, the number e, and trigonometry, Maor offers this new work as a comprehensive overview of the Pythagorean Theorem...If one has never read a book by Eli Maor, this book is a great place to start. -- J. Johnson Choice Maor expertly tells the story of how this simple theorem known to schoolchildren is part and parcel of much of mathematics itself... Even mathematically savvy readers will gain insights into the inner workings and beauty of mathematics. -- Amy Shell-Gellasch MAA Reviews Maor's book is a concise history of the Pythagorean theorem, including the mathematicians, cultures, and people influenced by it. The work is well written and supported by several proofs and exampled from Chinese, Arabic, and European sources the document how these unique cultures came to understand and apply the Pythagorean theorem. [The book] provides thoughtful commentary on the historical connections this fascinating theorem has to many cultures and people. -- Michael C. Fish Mathematics Teacher This book will make for good supplementary reading for high school students, high school teachers, and those with a general interest in mathematics... The author's enthusiasm for his subject is evident throughout the book. -- James J. Tattersull Mathematical Reviews This book goes beyond the theorem and its proofs to set it beautifully in the context of its time and subsequent history. -- Eric S. Rosenthal Mathematics Magazine This is an excellent book on the history of the Pythagorean Theorem... This book is suitable to any student who has basic knowledge of calculus but the layperson will also find it interesting... Maor has an exceptional method of writing very technical mathematics in a seamlessly way. -- Kuldeep Mathematics and My Diary
- Commended for Association of American Publishers Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Mathematics 2007 (United States)
- Runner-up for AAP/Professional and Scholarly Publishing Awards: Mathematics and Statistics 2007
- Runner-up for AAP/Professional and Scholarly Publishing Awards: Mathematics and Statistics 2007.