History of Mathematics [Paperback] Sarat, Archana

Mathematics is a subject I have always loved. There is something so fascinating about the world of numbers. It is not merely a subject but a part of our daily lives. As the author of this book rightly says, we are all mathematicians and we were all born with the confidence to know and understand numbers. And then there is history. It is always intriguing and enthralling to know about the tale behind things which are a part of us in any way. So I felt compelled to pick this book which is magical in the way it amalgamates history and mathematics. Archana Sarat has done a fantastic job in narrating interesting anecdotes in an engaging and entertaining manner. It is not easy to narrate facts in a way that keeps the reader hooked but Archana has ensured that there is not a single drab moment in the book. Through 26 beautiful short stories, she gives us an insight into the history of key mathematical concepts in algebra, trigonometry and geometry and their evolution over the years. The stories are crisp, well - researched and enriching, and I was left asking for more by the end of it. It is a challenging job to cover the huge spectrum of Mathematics in a single book, but I liked the author's picks in this one and hope to see sequels in the future. This one must be read by adults and children alike, and it is a sure shot winner from the house of Readomania.

After reading the book, my first opinion was that this was one important book for children and adults. While the author has taken efforts to make the stories simpler to read and understand, all of them are also interesting for adults. The book has many stories that showcase the amazing role played by India in the field of mathematics. Indian mathematicians have played a vital role in the evolution of the decimal system, the introduction and use of zero and many other mathematical concepts. As centuries pass, we tend to forget our rich heritage and are in awe of the outside world. This book will awaken our pride in our country and will inspire younger generations to take an active interest in mathematics. As the author says, we all are born mathematicians! A shoutout to the fabulous illustrations and the eye-catching cover. Loved the book. Five stars!

This book isn't a history of mathematics. If you are looking for a scholarly work, I recommend A History Of Mathematics by Boyer and Merzbach. That is a dense book, but it's hard to compress 4000 years of evolution in mathematical thinking into something breezy.This author seems to assume the primacy of Indian mathematicians in the history of mathematics and then cherry pick facts. This predilection apparently holds true for many Indian historians too. It's just strange to see it here. Does it really matter, in the overall scheme of things, which tribe of animals from a tiny region on a blue speck in the vast cosmos discovered mathematical patterns before the rest? We can and should be able to appreciate the amazing discovery of mathematical patterns in our universe without having to attribute credit to people from our countries.The other issue is that the stories here are devoid of context. Why did mathematical thought evolve? One part was practical -- as societies evolved, a need for arithmetic and computing arose. The more sophisticated our societies and economies got, the greater the need for a language more concise and precise than the spoken language -- and that's one aspect of mathematics. The other is the purely aesthetic. Our brains, for some reason, delight in patterns. Once we started spotting patterns in the new language of mathematics we couldn’t stop at the practical. We tried to find the mystical and the beautiful. (If you are interested in the psychological aspect of mathematics The Number Sense by the cognitive neuroscientist Dehaene is a good read) Neither of this aspects is really covered here. Instead, we get some speculation about why Archimedes may have been killed and more random pickings from the biographies of mathematicians.

This is the first time I am reading stories about Mathematics. I so loved to know about the history and the stories attached to them even though they were fictionalized.This is a book that can be read by all members of the family.It is very well written in an easy understandable language and lucid manner.I would definitely urge the author to write a sequel with more stories.To make a dry subject like mathematics enjoyable is a huge task which the author has very well accomplished.

I have just finished reading this book "the history of mathematics " by Archana Sarat". This book could only be defined by the word "perfect" as the author has given knowledge of how the formulas were derived in such writing that even small children and elderly could read and enjoy the book. The stories were quite fun to read , where many questions get answered relating to history....Would love to read another book by the same author .......Aryan Tuli

The book as u go through, takes u on a ride of vedic mathematics. That is OK. But some more proof of some well known results of mathematics in simple language will be more appreciated in future version of this book.

Great, well structured and simply written but largely concentrates on mathematics history in the context of India's contribution.

This book consists of 26 fascinating stories on various mathematical concepts, from different parts of the world. It is so fascinating to know about the history of maths & how it evolved over a period of time. Kudos to the author for coming up with such a lovely book. Definitely a must read for all ages...