Critics Corner

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

Review of Elements of Mathematics: From Euclid to Gödel

Elements of Mathematics: From Euclid to Gödel, by John Stillwell. 440 pp.

Review of Mathematics in Ancient Egypt: A Contextual History

Mathematics in Ancient Egypt: A Contextual History, Annette Imhausen, 2016. 248 pp.

Review of Enlightening Symbols: A Short History of Mathematical Notation and Its Hidden Powers

Review of the book Enlightening Symbols: A Short History of Mathematical Notation and Its Hidden Powers, by Joseph Mazur

Review of Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World

Seventeenth century proponents of the elusive infinitesimal clashed with Clavius and the Catholic Church.

Review of Mathematical Expeditions: Exploring Word Problems across the Ages

A collection of problems that should be of interest to teachers at all levels. Frank Swetz shares this observation at the close of his book, Mathematical Expeditions: Exploring Word Problems across the Ages.

Review of A Remarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts

Our reviewer finds this collection of translations of Babylonian mathematical tablets to be both fascinating and accessible.

Review of L'algebre au temps de Babylone: Quand les mathematiques s'ecrivaient sur de l'argile

[Translation of title: Algebra in the Time of Babylon. When Mathematics Were Written on Clay.] A thorough review of Jens Hoyrup's revision, expansion, and French translation of his own 1998 book for Danish high-school students.

The Prince of Mathematics: Carl Friedrich Gauss

A biography of Gauss designed for high school students.

Arthur Cayley: Mathematician Laureate of the Victorian Age

A biography of Arthur Cayley, the outstanding mathematician of Victorian Britain.

The Ambitious Horse

Problems taken from Chinese sources