Critics Corner

Reviews of books, websites, poster sets, movies, and other resources for learning and teaching the history of mathematics.

An Imaginary Tale: The Story of √-1

The author became fascinated with the mysterious role of √-1 in electronics. Turning to history for insight, he brings the perspectives of both a practical man and a scholar in conveying the enchantment of mathematics for a non-mathematician.

Prime Numbers: The Most Mysterious Figures in Math

An introduction to the prime numbers in many of their aspects.

The Nothing That Is

A history of the concept of zero from as far back as the Babylonian period, with philosophical excursions into the meaning of "nothing".

Euler and Modern Science; Euler at 300

The two final volumes of the MAA tercentenary series on Euler present numerous papers on various aspects of Euler's life and work.

Mathematical Evolutions

A collection of articles from the American Mathematical Monthly by experts on the evolution of various fields of mathematics.

Mathematics in Ancient Iraq: A Social History

A new history of mathematics in ancient Mesopotamia, concentrating on its social aspects.

A Discourse Concerning Algebra

A study of the rise of English algebra from the Medieval period to the end of the seventeenth century.

Review of The Music of Pythagoras

Subtitled How an Ancient Brotherhood Cracked the Code of the Universe and Lit the Path from Antiquity to Outer Space, this is a book of entertaining stories more so than scholarly research.

The Joy of Pi

A highly recommended new book on the history and applications of pi.

History of Mathematics Archive

A wide-ranging website with links to many sources in the history of mathematics.