Evolution of Mathematical Concepts: An Elementary Study - Raymond L. Wilder

Accessible to students and relevant to specialists, this remarkable book by a prominent educator offers a unique perspective on the evolutionary development of mathematics. Rather than conducting a survey of the history or philosophy of mathematics, Raymond L. Wilder envisions mathematics as a broad cultural phenomenon. His treatment examines and illustrates how such concepts as number and length were affected by historic and social events. Starting with a brief consideration of preliminary notions, this study explores the early evolution of numbers, the evolution of geometry, and the conquest of the infinite as embodied by real numbers. A detailed look at the processes of evolution concludes with an examination of the evolutionary aspects of modern mathematics. Rather than a survey of the history or philosophy of modern mathematics, this treatment envisions mathematics as a broad cultural phenomenon, examining historic and social influences on such concepts as number and length. 1973 edition.