Mathematical Traveler: Exploring the Grand History of Numbers

Back in print at last, this classic work by Calvin Clawson examines the remarkable co-evolution of numbers and human culture. From the early clay beads and ropes that our ancestors used as primitive counting tools to the influence of fractals and complex number systems on chaos theory, The Mathematical Traveler takes us on a journey over continents and through time to discover how mathematics has become an integral part of our world. We stop at ancient Sumeria, China, Greece, Italy, and England, where we learn about the discovery of our current counting system, the golden mean, pi, irrational numbers, and other mathematical innovations. More than just an overview of the history of numbers, The Mathematical Traveler explores how the understanding of mathematics helped humanity to create the underpinnings of art, technology, economics, and science that shaped the world we live in today.