Maria Zack – författare

This volume contains ten papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/Société canadienne d’histoire et de philosophie des mathématiques. It showcases rigorously-reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics from the seventeenth century to the modern era.The volume begins with an exposition of the life and work of Professor Bolesław Sobociński. It then moves on to cover a collection of topics about twentieth-century philosophy of mathematics, including Fred Sommers’s creation of Traditional Formal Logic and Alexander Grothendieck’s work as a starting point for discussing analogies between commutative algebra and algebraic geometry. Continuing the focus on the philosophy of mathematics, the next selections discuss the mathematization of biology and address the study of numerical cognition. The volume then moves to discussing various aspects of mathematics education, including Charles Davies’s early book on the teaching of mathematics and the use of Gaussian Lemniscates in the classroom. A collection of papers on the history of mathematics in the nineteenth century closes out the volume, presenting a discussion of Gauss’s “Allgemeine Theorie des Erdmagnetismus” and a comparison of the geometric works of Desargues and La Hire. Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains ten papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/Société canadienne d’histoire et de philosophie des mathématiques. It showcases rigorously-reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics from the seventeenth century to the modern era.

The volume begins with an exposition of the life and work of Professor Bolesław Sobociński. It then moves on to cover a collection of topics about twentieth-century philosophy of mathematics, including Fred Sommers’s creation of Traditional Formal Logic and Alexander Grothendieck’s work as a starting point for discussing analogies between commutative algebra and algebraic geometry. Continuing the focus on the philosophy of mathematics, the next selections discuss the mathematization of biology and address the study of numerical cognition. The volume then moves to discussing various aspects of mathematics education, including Charles Davies’s early book on the teaching of mathematics and the use of Gaussian Lemniscates in the classroom. A collection of papers on the history of mathematics in the nineteenth century closes out the volume, presenting a discussion of Gauss’s “Allgemeine Theorie des Erdmagnetismus” and a comparison of the geometric works of Desargues and La Hire.

Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains eleven papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/Société canadienne d’histoire et de philosophie des mathématiques. It showcases rigorously-reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as the teaching of the history of mathematics.  Topics considered includeThe mathematics and astronomy in Nathaniel Torperly’s only published work, Diclides Coelometricae, seu valvae astronomicae universalConnections between the work of Urbain Le Verrier, Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, and Augustin-Louis Cauchy on the algebraic eigenvalue problemAn evaluation of Ken Manders’ argument against conceiving of the diagrams in Euclid’s Elements in semantic termsThe development of undergraduate modern algebra courses in the United StatesWays of using the history of mathematics to teachthe foundations of mathematical analysisWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains eleven papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/Société canadienne d’histoire et de philosophie des mathématiques. It showcases rigorously-reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as the teaching of the history of mathematics.  Topics considered includeThe mathematics and astronomy in Nathaniel Torperly’s only published work, Diclides Coelometricae, seu valvae astronomicae universalConnections between the work of Urbain Le Verrier, Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, and Augustin-Louis Cauchy on the algebraic eigenvalue problemAn evaluation of Ken Manders’ argument against conceiving of the diagrams in Euclid’s Elements in semantic termsThe development of undergraduate modern algebra courses in the United StatesWays of using the history of mathematics to teachthe foundations of mathematical analysisWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains eleven papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/Société canadienne d’histoire et de philosophie des mathématiques. It showcases rigorously-reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as the teaching of the history of mathematics.  Topics considered includeThe mathematics and astronomy in Nathaniel Torperly’s only published work, Diclides Coelometricae, seu valvae astronomicae universalConnections between the work of Urbain Le Verrier, Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, and Augustin-Louis Cauchy on the algebraic eigenvalue problemAn evaluation of Ken Manders’ argument against conceiving of the diagrams in Euclid’s Elements in semantic termsThe development of undergraduate modern algebra courses in the United StatesWays of using the history of mathematics to teachthe foundations of mathematical analysisWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains eighteen papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously-reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as the teaching of the history of mathematics.  Some of the topics explored includeArabic editions of Euclid’s Elements from the thirteenth century and their role in the assimilation of Euclidean geometry into the Islamic intellectual traditionPortuguese sixteenth century recreational mathematics as found in the Tratado de Prática Darysmetica A Cambridge correspondence course in arithmetic for women in England in the late nineteenth centuryThe mathematical interests of the famous Egyptologist Thomas Eric (T. E.) Peet The history of Zentralblatt für Mathematik and Mathematical Reviews and their role in creating a publishing infrastructure for a global mathematical literatureThe use of Latin squares for agricultural crop experiments at the Rothamsted Experimental StationThe many contributions of women to the advancement of computing techniques at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in the 1960sThe volume concludes with two short plays, one set in Ancient Mesopotamia and the other in Ancient Egypt, that are well suited for use in the mathematics classroom.Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains eighteen papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously-reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as the teaching of the history of mathematics.  Some of the topics explored includeArabic editions of Euclid’s Elements from the thirteenth century and their role in the assimilation of Euclidean geometry into the Islamic intellectual traditionPortuguese sixteenth century recreational mathematics as found in the Tratado de Prática Darysmetica A Cambridge correspondence course in arithmetic for women in England in the late nineteenth centuryThe mathematical interests of the famous Egyptologist Thomas Eric (T. E.) Peet The history of Zentralblatt für Mathematik and Mathematical Reviews and their role in creating a publishing infrastructure for a global mathematical literatureThe use of Latin squares for agricultural crop experiments at the Rothamsted Experimental StationThe many contributions of women to the advancement of computing techniques at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in the 1960sThe volume concludes with two short plays, one set in Ancient Mesopotamia and the other in Ancient Egypt, that are well suited for use in the mathematics classroom.Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains eighteen papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously-reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as the teaching of the history of mathematics.  Some of the topics explored includeArabic editions of Euclid’s Elements from the thirteenth century and their role in the assimilation of Euclidean geometry into the Islamic intellectual traditionPortuguese sixteenth century recreational mathematics as found in the Tratado de Prática Darysmetica A Cambridge correspondence course in arithmetic for women in England in the late nineteenth centuryThe mathematical interests of the famous Egyptologist Thomas Eric (T. E.) Peet The history of Zentralblatt für Mathematik and Mathematical Reviews and their role in creating a publishing infrastructure for a global mathematical literatureThe use of Latin squares for agricultural crop experiments at the Rothamsted Experimental StationThe many contributions of women to the advancement of computing techniques at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in the 1960sThe volume concludes with two short plays, one set in Ancient Mesopotamia and the other in Ancient Egypt, that are well suited for use in the mathematics classroom.Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains 8 papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.Some of the topics explored include:A way to rethink how logic is taught to philosophy students by using a rejuvenated version of the Aristotelian idea of an argument schemaA quantitative approach using data from Wikipedia to study collaboration between nineteenth-century British mathematiciansThe depiction and perception of Émilie Du Châtelet’s scientific contributions as viewed through the frontispieces designed for books written by or connected to herA study of the Cambridge Women’s Research Club, a place where British women were able to participate in scholarly scientific discourse in the middle of the twentieth centuryAn examination of the researchand writing process of mathematicians by looking at their drafts and other preparatory notesA global history of al-Khwārāzmī’s Kitāb al-jabr wa-l-muqābala as obtained by tracing its reception through numerous translations and commentariesWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains 8 papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.Some of the topics explored include:A way to rethink how logic is taught to philosophy students by using a rejuvenated version of the Aristotelian idea of an argument schemaA quantitative approach using data from Wikipedia to study collaboration between nineteenth-century British mathematiciansThe depiction and perception of Émilie Du Châtelet’s scientific contributions as viewed through the frontispieces designed for books written by or connected to herA study of the Cambridge Women’s Research Club, a place where British women were able to participate in scholarly scientific discourse in the middle of the twentieth centuryAn examination of the researchand writing process of mathematicians by looking at their drafts and other preparatory notesA global history of al-Khwārāzmī’s Kitāb al-jabr wa-l-muqābala as obtained by tracing its reception through numerous translations and commentariesWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains 8 papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.Some of the topics explored include:A way to rethink how logic is taught to philosophy students by using a rejuvenated version of the Aristotelian idea of an argument schemaA quantitative approach using data from Wikipedia to study collaboration between nineteenth-century British mathematiciansThe depiction and perception of Émilie Du Châtelet’s scientific contributions as viewed through the frontispieces designed for books written by or connected to herA study of the Cambridge Women’s Research Club, a place where British women were able to participate in scholarly scientific discourse in the middle of the twentieth centuryAn examination of the researchand writing process of mathematicians by looking at their drafts and other preparatory notesA global history of al-Khwārāzmī’s Kitāb al-jabr wa-l-muqābala as obtained by tracing its reception through numerous translations and commentariesWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains 8 papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.Some of the topics explored include:The work of Alfred Clebsch and Adolph Mayer on the theory of the second variation, a topic in the calculus of variationsThe history of The Analyst – the journal that would eventually become the Annals of Mathematics – and its founding editor, Joel HendricksAn examination of early attempts at introducing transformations into the geometry curriculum at the secondary levelAnna Sfard’s commognitive theory of learning and how it can be applied to gain insights into certain aspects of the history of mathematicsAnalyzing archaeological data from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and the kinship system of the Natchez tribe of the Mississippi Valley as examples of utilizing ethnomathematics in mathematics educationWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains 8 papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.

Some of the topics explored include:

The work of Alfred Clebsch and Adolph Mayer on the theory of the second variation, a topic in the calculus of variationsThe history of The Analyst – the journal that would eventually become the Annals of Mathematics – and its founding editor, Joel HendricksAn examination of early attempts at introducing transformations into the geometry curriculum at the secondary levelAnna Sfard’s commognitive theory of learning and how it can be applied to gain insights into certain aspects of the history of mathematicsAnalyzing archaeological data from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and the kinship system of the Natchez tribe of the Mississippi Valley as examples of utilizing ethnomathematics in mathematics education

Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains 8 papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. It showcases rigorously reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.Some of the topics explored include:The work of Alfred Clebsch and Adolph Mayer on the theory of the second variation, a topic in the calculus of variationsThe history of The Analyst – the journal that would eventually become the Annals of Mathematics – and its founding editor, Joel HendricksAn examination of early attempts at introducing transformations into the geometry curriculum at the secondary levelAnna Sfard’s commognitive theory of learning and how it can be applied to gain insights into certain aspects of the history of mathematicsAnalyzing archaeological data from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and the kinship system of the Natchez tribe of the Mississippi Valley as examples of utilizing ethnomathematics in mathematics educationWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains 8 papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics (CSHPM). It showcases rigorously reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.Some of the topics explored include:A critical discussion of thought experiments invoking “Laplace’s demon” in the philosophy of science.An examination of the Hebrew-language Sefer ha-Mispar (Book of Number) by Elijah Mizrahi, a rabbi and mathematician from Constantinople.An examination of the work of Cambridge tutor and textbook author John Martin Frederick Wright (1792–1842) to explain some mathematical concepts from Newton’s Principia.The EvenQuads project developed by the Association for Women in Mathematics, which is aimed at creating vetted biographies of women mathematicians.A look at the history of the CSHPM at its 50th anniversary by considering its role in the consolidation and professionalization of the history of mathematics as a discipline.Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains 8 papers that have been collected by the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics (CSHPM). It showcases rigorously reviewed contemporary scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics.Some of the topics explored include:A critical discussion of thought experiments invoking “Laplace’s demon” in the philosophy of science.An examination of the Hebrew-language Sefer ha-Mispar (Book of Number) by Elijah Mizrahi, a rabbi and mathematician from Constantinople.An examination of the work of Cambridge tutor and textbook author John Martin Frederick Wright (1792–1842) to explain some mathematical concepts from Newton’s Principia.The EvenQuads project developed by the Association for Women in Mathematics, which is aimed at creating vetted biographies of women mathematicians.A look at the history of the CSHPM at its 50th anniversary by considering its role in the consolidation and professionalization of the history of mathematics as a discipline.Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible not only to mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also to anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains thirteen papers that were presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held on the campus of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It contains rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on general topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as on the meeting’s special topic, Early Scientific Computation. These papers cover subjects such as •Physical tools used by mathematicians in the seventeenth century •The first historical appearance of the game-theoretical concept of mixed-strategy equilibrium •George Washington’s mathematical cyphering books •The development of the Venn diagram •The role of Euler and other mathematicians in the development of algebraic analysis •Arthur Cayley and Alfred Kempe’s influence on Charles Peirce's diagrammatic logic •The influence publishers had on the development of mathematical pedagogy in the nineteenth century •A description of the 1924 International Mathematical Congress held in Toronto, told in the form of a “narrated slide show” Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers will be accessible to not only mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains thirteen papers that were presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held on the campus of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It contains rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on general topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as on the meeting’s special topic, Early Scientific Computation. These papers cover subjects such as •Physical tools used by mathematicians in the seventeenth century •The first historical appearance of the game-theoretical concept of mixed-strategy equilibrium •George Washington’s mathematical cyphering books •The development of the Venn diagram •The role of Euler and other mathematicians in the development of algebraic analysis •Arthur Cayley and Alfred Kempe’s influence on Charles Peirce''s diagrammatic logic •The influence publishers had on the development of mathematical pedagogy in the nineteenth century •A description of the 1924 International Mathematical Congress held in Toronto, told in the form of a “narrated slide show” Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers will be accessible to not only mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains seventeen papers that were presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held in Washington, D.C. In addition to showcasing rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on an interesting variety of general topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, this meeting also honored the memories of Jacqueline (Jackie) Stedall and Ivor Grattan-Guinness; celebrated the Centennial of the Mathematical Association of America; and considered the importance of mathematical communities in a special session. These themes and many others are explored in these collected papers, which cover subjects such asNew evidence that the Latin translation of Euclid’s Elements was based on the Arabic version attributed to al-ḤajjājWork done on the arc rampant in the seventeenth century The history of numerical methods for finding roots of nonlinear equationsAn original play featuring a dialogue between George Boole and Augustus De Morgan that explores the relationship between themKey issues in the digital preservation of mathematical material for future generationsA look at the first twenty-five years of The American Mathematical Monthly in the context of the evolving American mathematical communityThe growth of Math Circles and the unique ways they are being implemented in the United StatesWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers will be accessible to not only mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains seventeen papers that were presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held in Washington, D.C. In addition to showcasing rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on an interesting variety of general topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, this meeting also honored the memories of Jacqueline (Jackie) Stedall and Ivor Grattan-Guinness; celebrated the Centennial of the Mathematical Association of America; and considered the importance of mathematical communities in a special session. These themes and many others are explored in these collected papers, which cover subjects such asNew evidence that the Latin translation of Euclid’s Elements was based on the Arabic version attributed to al-ḤajjājWork done on the arc rampant in the seventeenth century The history of numerical methods for finding roots of nonlinear equationsAn original play featuring a dialogue between George Boole and Augustus De Morgan that explores the relationship between themKey issues in the digital preservation of mathematical material for future generationsA look at the first twenty-five years of The American Mathematical Monthly in the context of the evolving American mathematical communityThe growth of Math Circles and the unique ways they are being implemented in the United StatesWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers will be accessible to not only mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains fourteen papers that were presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.  In addition to showcasing rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, this meeting also honored the life and work of the logician and philosopher of mathematics Aldo Antonelli (1962-2015).  The first four papers in this book are part of that remembrance and have a philosophical focus. Included in these are a discussion of Bolzano’s objections to Kant’s philosophy of mathematics and an examination of the influence of rhetorical and poetic aesthetics on the development of symbols in the 16th and 17th Centuries.  The remaining papers deal with the history of mathematics and cover such subjects as Early schemes for polar ordinates in the work of L’Hôpital, based on lessons given to him by BernoulliA method devised by Euler for determining if a number is a sum of two squaresPlayfair’s Axiom and what it reveals about the history of 19th-Century mathematics educationThe modern library classification system for mathematical subjectsAn exploration of various examples of sundials throughout ParisWritten by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible to not only mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains fourteen papers that were presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/La Société Canadienne d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Mathématiques, held at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.  

In addition to showcasing rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics, this meeting also honored the life and work of the logician and philosopher of mathematics Aldo Antonelli (1962-2015).  The first four papers in this book are part of that remembrance and have a philosophical focus. Included in these are a discussion of Bolzano’s objections to Kant’s philosophy of mathematics and an examination of the influence of rhetorical and poetic aesthetics on the development of symbols in the 16th and 17th Centuries.  The remaining papers deal with the history of mathematics and cover such subjects as 

Early schemes for polar ordinates in the work of L’Hôpital, based on lessons given to him by BernoulliA method devised by Euler for determining if a number is a sum of two squaresPlayfair’s Axiom and what it reveals about the history of 19th-Century mathematics educationThe modern library classification system for mathematical subjectsAn exploration of various examples of sundials throughout Paris

Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible to not only mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains thirteen papers that were presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/Société canadienne d’histoire et de philosophie des mathématiques, which was held at Ryerson University in Toronto. It showcases rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics from Ancient Greece to the twentieth century. A series of chapters all set in the eighteenth century consider topics such as John Marsh’s techniques for the computation of decimal fractions, Euler’s efforts to compute the surface area of scalene cones, a little-known work by John Playfair on the practical aspects of mathematics, and Monge’s use of descriptive geometry. After a brief stop in the nineteenth century to consider the culture of research mathematics in 1860s Prussia, the book moves into the twentieth century with an examination of the historical context within which the Axiom of Choice was developed and a paper discussing Anatoly Vlasov’s adaptation of the Boltzmann equation to ionized gases. The remaining chapters deal with the philosophy of twentieth-century mathematics through topics such as an historically informed discussion of finitism and its limits; a reexamination of Mary Leng’s defenses of mathematical fictionalism through an alternative, anti-realist approach to mathematics; and a look at the reasons that mathematicians select specific problems to pursue. Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible to not only mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also anyone with a general interest in mathematics.

This volume contains thirteen papers that were presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics/Société canadienne d’histoire et de philosophie des mathématiques, which was held at Ryerson University in Toronto. It showcases rigorously reviewed modern scholarship on an interesting variety of topics in the history and philosophy of mathematics from Ancient Greece to the twentieth century. 

A series of chapters all set in the eighteenth century consider topics such as John Marsh’s techniques for the computation of decimal fractions, Euler’s efforts to compute the surface area of scalene cones, a little-known work by John Playfair on the practical aspects of mathematics, and Monge’s use of descriptive geometry. 

After a brief stop in the nineteenth century to consider the culture of research mathematics in 1860s Prussia, the book moves into the twentieth century with an examination of the historical context within which the Axiom of Choice was developed and a paper discussing Anatoly Vlasov’s adaptation of the Boltzmann equation to ionized gases. 

The remaining chapters deal with the philosophy of twentieth-century mathematics through topics such as an historically informed discussion of finitism and its limits; a reexamination of Mary Leng’s defenses of mathematical fictionalism through an alternative, anti-realist approach to mathematics; and a look at the reasons that mathematicians select specific problems to pursue. 

Written by leading scholars in the field, these papers are accessible to not only mathematicians and students of the history and philosophy of mathematics, but also anyone with a general interest in mathematics.