Isis, Vol. 4

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Excerpt from Isis, Vol. 4: International Review Devoted to the History of Science and Civilization, 1921-1922Both montucla and cantor treat not only the history of mathe maties but also the history Of some Of the most noted mathematicians, and both authors aim to give clear explanations of the fundamental concepts whose history is presented as well as an outline Of the polit ical situations at the times when mathematical advances were made. The former Of these features has been widely adopted even by authors Of brief general histories of our subject. The latter feature has been less commonly adopted, but it is the more serious of the two, since itis becoming more and more easy to supply biographical information by means of general works of reference. On the other hand, it is becom in g more and more difficult for the non-professional mathematician to secure a clear view of the fundamental elements involved in modern mathematical advances.Montucla laid great stress on securing clear ideas Of the mathemat ical concepts before writing on their history, and it seems obvious that a reader cannot secure a deep insight into the history of any scientific subject without first acquiring a thoro knowledge Of this subject itself. It is only then that he is in position to understand the significance Of the various advances made at different times. This is especially true Of mathematics in view of the interdependence of the different branches, and the fact that the more advanced theories cannot, as a rule, be understood without first mastering various special elements involved therein. Probably one Of the main reasons why so few mathematicians are especially interested in the history Of their subject is that they expect to be better prepared later to take up this subject.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.