The Calculus Story: A Mathematical Adventure

by David Acheson

Overview

Calculus is the key to much of modern science and engineering. It is the mathematical method for the analysis of things that change, and since in the natural world we are surrounded by change, the development of calculus was a huge breakthrough in the history of mathematics. But it is also something of a mathematical adventure, largely because of the way infinity enters at virtually every twist and turn...

In The Calculus Story, David Acheson presents a wide-ranging picture of calculus and its applications, from ancient Greece right up to the present day. Drawing on their original writings, he introduces the people who helped to build our understanding of calculus. With a step-by-step treatment, he demonstrates how to start doing calculus, from the very beginning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198804543
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/03/2018
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David Acheson, Emeritus Fellow, Jesus College, University of Oxford

David Acheson is a British applied mathematician, best known for his popular maths book 1089 and All That (OUP, 2010), which has been translated into 11 languages. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, and was Oxford University's first winner of a National Teaching Fellowship, in 2004. He was President of the Mathematical Association for 2010-11, and now lectures widely on mathematics to young people and the general public. In 2013, David Acheson was awarded an Honorary D.Sc by the University of East Anglia for his outstanding work in the popularisation of mathematics.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. The spirit of mathematics3. Infinity4. How steep is a curve? 5. Differentiation6. Greatest and least7. Playing with infinity8. Area and volume9. Infinite series10. 'Too much delight'11. Dynamics12. Newton and planetary motion13. Leibniz's paper of 168414. 'An enigma'15. Who invented calculus? 16. Round in circles17. Pi and the odd numbers18. Calculus under attack19. Differential equations20. Calculus and the electric guitar21. The best of all possible worlds? 22. The mysterious number e23. How to make a series24. Calculus with imaginary numbers25. Infinity bites back26. What is a limit, exactly? 27. The equations of nature28. From calculus to chaosReferencesFurther ReadingIndex

Editorial Reviews

"A masterpiece." — Steven Strogatz, professor of mathematics, Cornell University, and author of The Joy of X, and Infinite Powers

"This is the book on calculus I wish I'd written. It's a beautifully simple, friendly guide that's bursting at the seams with glorious, persuasive explanations as to why calculus is one of the most powerful ideas ever conceived by mankind." — Hannah Fry, broadcaster, lecturer, and author of The Mathematics of Love

"A very clear explanation of calculus (I wish I'd had it as a maths student!) along with some history of the subject." — Tim Harford, The Undercover Economist

"Dazzling." - Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education

"I would have killed for this book when I was 13 ... David Acheson belongs in the league of great authors of popular works on mathematics." — George Matthews, Mathematics Today

"This is a splendid little book by the author of the best seller 1089 and all that. It is written in the same brisk and engaging style, making it accessible to a very wide audience... [David Acheson] set himself a stiff challenge and has passed with flying colours. The book is highly recommended and should prove to be another best seller." — Adam McBride, The Mathematical Gazette

"Don't panic if your mathematical muscles appear to have withered away (or you never truly cracked differentiation), David Acheson's The Calculus Story could be just the thing. ... A roller-coaster read, constantly climbing and diving through the wonderful world of calculus... There's something for everyone, from the inexperienced integrator to the seasoned solver of equations... His enthusiasm for calculus is almost palpable." — New Scientist

"A simple guide to calculus—where it came from, how it works, what it's good for, and where it went. Brief, informative, charming, and a model of clarity. Ideal motivation for beginners, and recommended to anyone who wonders what the subject is about." —Ian Stewart, author of Seventeen Equations that Changed the World

"A superb introduction to calculus that should be in every young mathematician's bookcase." — Peter Ransom, Symmetry Plus

"Perhaps the greatest achievement of The Calculus Story is that it manages to introduce and explain a great deal of mathematics without ever losing its friendly,
readable voice. It is constantly engaging and informative, and accessible to a large audience, giving it great potential to educate the public, and engage them in mathematics and its history." —BSHM Bulletin

"Acheson offers a much-needed short account of the "big picture" of calculus as a whole, illustrated with examples and reproductions from historic publications [...] Short pages, many illustrations, and a sense of telling a big story contribute to the success of the book." — Paul J. Campbell, Mathematical Magazine

From the Publisher