Table of Contents

Arithmetic.

Bernoulli Trials.

Circle.

Differential Calculus.

Euler.

Fermat.

Greek Geometry.

Hypotenuse.

Isoperimetric Problem.

Justification.

Knighted Newton.

Lost Leibniz.

Mathematical Personality.

Natural Logarithm.

Origins.

Prime Number Theorem.

Quotient.

Russell's Paradox.

Spherical Surface.

Trisection.

Utility.

Venn Diagram.

Where Are the Women?

X-Y Plane.

Z.

Afterword.

Notes.

Index.

About the Author

WILLIAM DUNHAM, Ph.D., is the Truman Koehler Professor ofMathematics at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Theauthor of the acclaimed Journey Through Genius, he was awarded the1993 George Pólya Award of the Mathematical Association ofAmerica for excellence in expository writing about mathematics. Heis also the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for theHumanities.

Reviews

Like John Allen Paulos's Beyond Numeracy (LJ 4/1/91), this is an A-to-Z collection of mathematical essays. The advantage of this format is that it lets the author hit the highlights in essays that can be read independently. This collection is less cantankerous than Paulos's, and it is also somewhat more focused and mathematically challenging, though still written for a popular audience. Dunham (Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics, Wiley, 1990) is winner of the 1993 George Polya Award for excellence in math writing, an honor he richly deserves. He is fascinated by the nature of mathematical genius, and the theme of these essays is the personality and eccentricities of mathematicians and the brilliance of their discoveries. For sophisticated readers who don't mind equations (including algebra, geometry, and calculus), this is a rewarding and entertaining look at the history of mathematics.-Amy Brunvand, Fort Lewis Coll. Lib., Durango, Col.