Benjamin Franklin's numbers : an unsung mathematical odyssey /

Few American lives have been as celebrated--or as closely scrutinized--as that of Benjamin Franklin. Yet until now Franklin's biographers have downplayed his interest in mathematics, at best portraying it as the idle musings of a brilliant and ever-restless mind. In Benjamin Franklin's Num...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Clasificación:Libro Electrónico
Autor principal: Pasles, Paul C., 1968- (Autor)
Formato: Electrónico eBook
Idioma:Inglés
Publicado: Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, [2008]
Temas:
Franklin, Benjamin, > 1706-1790.
Franklin, Benjamin, > 1706-1790
Mathematics > History.
Magic squares.
Mathematical recreations.
Mathématiques > Histoire.
Carrés magiques.
Jeux mathématiques.
magic squares.
MATHEMATICS / Arithmetic
Magic squares
Mathematical recreations
Mathematics
Academy of Philadelphia.
Adams, John.
American Philosophical Society.
Bache, Sarah Franklin.
Bragdon, Claude.
Canton, John.
Cardano, Girolamo.
Cohen, I. Bernard.
Dürer, Albrecht.
Euler, Leonhard.
Ferguson, James.
Franklin, William.
Freemasonry.
General Magazine.
Godfrey, Thomas.
Grew, Theophilus.
Hemingway, Ernest.
Hutton, Charles.
Isomura.
Jefferson, Thomas.
Jerman, John.
Keimer, Samuel.
Latin square.
Lewis and Clark.
Locke, John.
Logan, James.
Muramatsu.
National Treasure.
Newton, Isaac.
Nulty, Eugenius (Owen).
Ozanam, Jacques.
Pascal, Blaise.
Poor Job.
Poor Robin.
Poor William Birkett.
SATOR square.
complementary pairs.
cryptography.
daylight saving time.
electricity.
excentric circle.
fully magic square.
glass armonica.
infinity.
lightning rod.
magic circle.
magic square.
memetics.
pandiagonal square.
semi-magic square.
shuffleboard.
slavery.
History
Acceso en línea:Texto completo
Descripción
Sumario:Few American lives have been as celebrated--or as closely scrutinized--as that of Benjamin Franklin. Yet until now Franklin's biographers have downplayed his interest in mathematics, at best portraying it as the idle musings of a brilliant and ever-restless mind. In Benjamin Franklin's Numbers, Paul Pasles reveals a side of the iconic statesman, scientist, and writer that few Americans know--his mathematical side. In fact, Franklin indulged in many areas of mathematics, including number theory, geometry, statistics, and economics. In this generously illustrated book, Pasles gives us the first mathematical biography of Benjamin Franklin. He draws upon previously unknown sources to illustrate Franklin's genius for numbers as never before. Magic squares and circles were a lifelong fascination of Franklin's. Here, for the first time, Pasles gathers every one of these marvelous creations together in one place. He explains the mathematics behind them and Franklin's hugely popular Poor Richard's Almanac, which featured such things as population estimates and a host of mathematical digressions. Pasles even includes optional math problems that challenge readers to match wits with the bespectacled Founding Father himself. Written for a general audience, this book assumes no technical skills beyond basic arithmetic. Benjamin Franklin's Numbers is a delightful blend of biography, history, and popular mathematics. If you think you already know Franklin's story, this entertaining and richly detailed book will make you think again.
Descripción Física:1 online resource (254 pages, [8] pages of plates : illustrations (some color))
Bibliografía:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9780691223704
069122370X

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