The Pythagorean Theorem: A 4,000-Year History

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Princeton University Press, Nov 19, 2019 - Mathematics - 296 pages

An exploration of one of the most celebrated and well-known theorems in mathematics

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. Although attributed to Pythagoras, the theorem 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 its history, providing a fascinating backdrop to perhaps our oldest enduring mathematical legacy.

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Contents

Cambridge England 1993
1
1 Mesopotamia 1800 BCE
4
2 Pythagoras
17
3 Euclids Elements
32
4 Archimedes
50
5 Translators and Commentators 5001500 CE
57
6 François Viète Makes History
76
7 From the Infinite to the Infinitesimal
82
12 From Flat Space to Curved Spacetime
168
13 Prelude to Relativity
181
14 From Bern to Berlin 19051915
188
15 But Is It Universal?
201
16 Afterthoughts
208
Samos 2005
213
Appendixes
219
Chronology
245

8 371 Proofs and Then Some
98
9 A Theme and Variations
123
10 Strange Coordinates
145
11 Notation Notation Notation
158
Bibliography
251
Illustrations Credits
255
Index
257
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About the author (2019)

Eli Maor is the author of seven books, including Music by the Numbers, Trigonometric Delights, To Infinity and Beyond, and e: The Story of a Number (all Princeton). He is a former professor of the history of mathematics at Loyola University Chicago.

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