The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics
| Author | George Gheverghese Joseph |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | History of mathematics |
| Publisher | Princeton University Press |
Publication date | 1991 |
| Pages | 592 |
| ISBN | 9780691135267 |
The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics is a book authored by George Gheverghese Joseph and published by Princeton University Press, the third edition of which was released in 2011.[1] The book was brought out as a response to the Eurocentric view of mathematics epitomized by Morris Kline's statement that "the mathematics of Egyptians and Mesopotamian is the scrawling of children just learning to write, as opposed to great literature. In any case these civilizations barely recognized mathematics as a distinct discipline".[2][3] The book has enjoyed widespread popularity for providing an accessible account of the mathematical culture of non-European peoples.[3]
Outline of the book
The book is divided into 11 chapters. Chapter 1 provides a lengthy justification for the book. Chapter 2 is devoted to a discussion of the mathematics of native Americans and Chapter 3 to the mathematics of ancient Egyptians. In the next two chapters the mathematics of Mesopotamia is considered. There are two chapters dealing with Chinese mathematics, three chapters with Indian mathematics. The book concludes with a chapter on the Islamic contribution to mathematics.
Reviews
- A review of the first edition of the book: Victor J Katz (August 1992). "Book Review: The crest of the peacock: Non-European roots of mathematics: By George Gheverghese Joseph" (PDF). Historia Mathematica 19 (3): 310–315. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- A review of the book by European Mathematical Information Service: Abdul Karim Bangura (Summer 2001). "Review of The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics. 2nd. ed.". Nexus Mathematical Journal 3 (3). Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- A review of the book by David Pingree: David Pingree (September 1993). "Reviewed Work: The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics by George Gheverghese Joseph". Isis 84 (3): 548–549. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- For a critical assessment of some of the claims and arguments of the author: Clemency Montelle (December 2013). "Review of The crest of the peacock: Non-European roots of mathematics" (PDF). Notices of the AMS: 1459–1463. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
References
- ↑ "The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics Third Edition". Princeton University Press. Princeton University. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ↑ Morris Kline (1962). Mathematics: A Cultural Approach. Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. p. 14.
- 1 2 Clemency Montelle (December 2013). "Book Review" (PDF). Notices of the AMS: 1459–1463. Retrieved 5 March 2016.