The Historical Development of the Calculus

by Charles Henry Edwards

The calculus has served for three centuries as the principal quantitative language of Western science. In the course of its genesis and evolution some of the most fundamental problems of mathematics were first con­ fronted and, through the persistent labors of successive generations, finally resolved. Therefore, the historical development of the calculus holds a special interest for anyone who appreciates the value of a historical perspective in teaching, learning, and enjoying mathematics and its ap­ plications. My goal in writing this book was to present an account of this development that is accessible, not solely to students of the history of mathematics, but to the wider mathematical community for which my exposition is more specifically intended, including those who study, teach, and use calculus. The scope of this account can be delineated partly by comparison with previous works in the same general area. M. E. Baron's The Origins of the Infinitesimal Calculus (1969) provides an informative and reliable treat­ ment of the precalculus period up to, but not including (in any detail), the time of Newton and Leibniz, just when the interest and pace of the story begin to quicken and intensify. C. B. Boyer's well-known book (1949, 1959 reprint) met well the goals its author set for it, but it was more ap­ propriately titled in its original edition-The Concepts of the Calculus­ than in its reprinting.

Genres: Mathematics, History

380 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 1994

About the author

Charles Henry Edwards
AKA C. Henry Edwards and C.H. Edwards

Reviews

[Laura Petto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best book on the history of calc that I have read. Also, led to other fantastic sources.

[Philip Gipson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being a mathematician, rarely have I read a math textbook cover-to-cover. This one I did.

The book covers what it says in its title: the historical development of (the) calculus beginning with Greek antiquity and Archimedes (~300BC); proceeding through Newton and Leibniz (17th century); and concluding with Euler, Cauchy, and Riemann (18th and 19th century). Along the way it also provides a overview of the development of mathematical thought, language, and notation that facilitated calculus.

While technically readable by an advanced undergraduate, a reader with a Master's or more in math will probably enjoy it the most.

[Benjamin Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting albeit a little dense in areas