| | TABLE OF CONTENTS: List of Color Plates ix
Preface xi
Prologue: Cambridge, England, 1993 1
Chapter 1: Mesopotamia, 1800 bce 4
Sidebar 1: Did the Egyptians Know It? 13
Chapter 2: Pythagoras 17
Chapter 3: Euclid's Elements 32
Sidebar 2: The Pythagorean Theorem in Art, Poetry, and Prose 45
Chapter 4: Archimedes 50
Chapter 5: Translators and Commentators, 500-1500 ce 57
Chapter 6: François Viète Makes History 76
Chapter 7: From the Infinite to the Infinitesimal 82
Sidebar 3: A Remarkable Formula by Euler 94
Chapter 8: 371 Proofs, and Then Some 98
Sidebar 4: The Folding Bag 115
Sidebar 5: Einstein Meets Pythagoras 117
Sidebar 6: A Most Unusual Proof 119
Chapter 9: A Theme and Variations 123
Sidebar 7: A Pythagorean Curiosity 140
Sidebar 8: A Case of Overuse 142
Chapter 10: Strange Coordinates 145
Chapter 11: Notation, Notation, Notation 158
Chapter 12: From Flat Space to Curved Spacetime 168
Sidebar 9: A Case of Misuse 177
Chapter 13: Prelude to Relativity 181
Chapter 14: From Bern to Berlin, 1905-1915 188
Sidebar 10: Four Pythagorean Brainteasers 197
Chapter 15: But Is It Universal? 201
Chapter 16: Afterthoughts 208
Epilogue: Samos, 2005 213
Appendixes 219-237
Chronology 241
Bibliography 247
Illustrations Credits 251
Index 253
Return to Book Description File created: 4/23/2008 |
