Math Makers

An entertaining history of mathematics as chronicled through fifty short biographies. Mathematics today is the fruit of centuries of brilliant insights by men and women whose personalities and life experiences were often as extraordinary as their mathematical achievements. This entertaining history of mathematics chronicles those achievements through fifty short biographies that bring these great thinkers to life while making their contributions understandable to readers with little math background. Among the fascinating characters profiled are Isaac Newton (1642-1727), the founder of classical physics and infinitesimal calculus--he frequently quarreled with fellow scientists and was obsessed by alchemy and arcane Bible interpretation; Sophie Germain (1776 - 1831), who studied secretly at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, using the name of a previously enrolled male student--she is remembered for her work on Fermat's Last Theorem and on elasticity theory; Emmy Noether (1882 - 1935), whom Albert Einstein described as the most important woman in the history of mathematics--she made important contributions to abstract algebra and in physics she clarified the connection between conservation laws and symmetry; and Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920), who came from humble origins in India and had almost no formal training, yet made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions.The unusual behavior and life circumstances of these and many other intriguing personalities make for fascinating reading and a highly enjoyable introduction to mathematics.

Alfred S. Posamentier has published over sixty books in the area of mathematics and mathematics education, including most recently The Mathematics of Everyday Life (with Christian Spreitzer). Currently, he is Distinguished Lecturer at New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York. After having been on the faculty of the City College of the City University of New York for forty years, where he was professor of mathematics education and dean of the School of Education, he subsequently held the same positions at Mercy College, New York, for five years. He then served as executive director for internationalization and sponsored programs at Long Island University, New York. Christian Spreitzer is a coauthor of The Mathematics of Everyday Life and The Joy of Mathematics. He is professor of mathematics education at the University College of Teacher Education in Lower Austria and a lecturer at the University of Vienna. He was educated as a mathematician and physicist and received his master's and doctorate degree from the University of Vienna. He has published research articles in peer-reviewed journals on mathematics as well as mathematics education.