Equations from God
Pure Mathematics and Victorian Faith
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Johns Hopkins University Press
Published:17th Apr '07
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Throughout history, application rather than abstraction has been the prominent driving force in mathematics. From the compass and sextant to partial differential equations, mathematical advances were spurred by the desire for better navigation tools, weaponry, and construction methods. But the religious upheaval in Victorian England and the fledgling United States opened the way for the rediscovery of pure mathematics, a tradition rooted in Ancient Greece. In Equations from God, Daniel J. Cohen captures the origins of the rebirth of abstract mathematics in the intellectual quest to rise above common existence and touch the mind of the deity. Using an array of published and private sources, Cohen shows how philosophers and mathematicians seized upon the beautiful simplicity inherent in mathematical laws to reconnect with the divine and traces the route by which the divinely inspired mathematics of the Victorian era begot later secular philosophies.
The book is a good read. -- Barnabas Hughes Convergence 2007 Cohen's short, readable book is a study in the history of ideas, and can be welcomed as pointing the way to important new directions in the history of mathematics. -- Jeremy Gray Newsletter of the London Mathematical Society 2007 An extremely helpful book for anyone interested in the relationship between mathematics and religious belief. Journal of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences 2007 An excellent pick for college-level collections strong in science or spirituality. Midwest Book Review 2007 One can only welcome Equations from God. First Things 2007 A great book, full of lovely stories. It is an important contribution. -- Teun Koetsier Zentralblatt Math 2007 The main strength of the book comes from Cohen's archival research. -- Ivor Grattan-Guinness American Historical Review 2008 Well-researched and engaging... breaks through the traditional mold for writing history of mathematics. -- Calvin Jongsma Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 2008 Cohen has offered food for thought for historians of Victorian science in general and of mathematics in particular. -- Karen H. Parshall Isis 2008 Equations from God is well researched and stylishly written... a most welcome addition to the growing literature. -- Tony Crilly Victorian Studies 2008 Cohen has successfully situated the work of Peirce, Boole and De Morgan in social and religious context, making this book a valuable contribution to the literature on the mathematics of the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. -- Judith V. Grabiner British Journal for the History of Science 2008 Welcome and informative book. -- Timothy Larsen Books and Culture: A Christian Review 2009
ISBN: 9780801885532
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 22mm
Weight: 476g
256 pages