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Copyright
© 2008 High Stakes Publishing
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The Calculus Wars
Jason Bardi
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Newton, Leibniz, and the Greatest Mathematical Clash of All Time
Now regarded as the bane of many college students' existence, calculus was one of the most important mathematical innovations of the seventeenth century. But a dispute over its discovery sowed the seeds of discontent between two of the greatest scientific giants of all time — Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Today Newton and Leibniz are generally considered the twin independent inventors of calculus, and they are both credited with giving mathematics its greatest push forward since the time of the Greeks. Had they known each other under different circumstances, they might have been friends. But in their own lifetimes, the joint glory of calculus was not enough for either and each declared war against the other, openly and in secret. This long and bitter dispute has been swept under the carpet by historians — perhaps because it reveals Newton and Leibniz in their worst light — but The Calculus Wars tells the full story in narrative form for the first time. This vibrant and gripping account ultimately exposes how these twin mathematical giants were brilliant, proud, at times mad and, in the end, completely human.
Jason Bardi attended graduate school at Johns Hopkins University where he studied in the Biophysics and the Writing Seminars Departments. He is now senior science writer at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
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| isbn: 184344030X
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price: £16.99
High Stakes Bookshop Offer price: £12.00
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| casing: Hardback
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| format: Demy (216 x 135mm)
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| extent: 288pp
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| rights: UK & Commonwealth excl. Canada
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| pub date: September 2006
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'This book reminds us that Leibniz was not above publishing anonymous attacks on his rival, but Newton's initial allegation that Leibniz stole his ideas was vicious and malign.' - Steven Poole, The Guardian [read the full review] 'Those interested in a lucid, nontechnical account of the battle between Isaac Newton (1642–1727) and German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) over who invented calculus will welcome science writer and debut author Bardi's cautionary tale. ' - Publishers Weekly [read the full review]
Those interested in a lucid, nontechnical account of the battle between Isaac Newton (1642–1727) and German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) over who invented calculus will welcome science writer and debut author Bardi's cautionary tale. As early as 1665, Newton composed a manuscript detailing his method of calculus with examples, but after his unpleasant experience with a 1672 paper on optics that aroused the ire of Robert Hooke, an eminent member of the Royal Society who accused the younger man of plagiarism, Newton became shy of publishing. Between 1672 and 1676, Leibniz independently discovered calculus, using notation that has since become standard. When Leibniz published his results, Newton's allies rushed to discredit Leibniz in what developed, in Bardi's words, into "the greatest intellectual property debate of all time." While a few personal asides might better have been put in the preface, Bardi provides a timeless lesson about human pride as he describes the series of misunderstandings and miscommunications that led to the clash between these two great minds, "perhaps the greatest of their day."
Publishers Weekly
'Today, Newton and Leibniz get equal credit for inventing [calculus], but during the late 17th century, neither was willing to give the other any credit for the work. Science writer Bardi tells the tale of the public, private, and lifelong feud.' - Science News [read the full review]
Historians regard Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz as two of the greatest scientific thinkers in history. Both are revered for their monumental advances in mathematics and physics. Few people know, however, of the bitter dispute between these two men over the intellectual ownership of calculus, the mathematics that describes bodies in motion. Today, Newton and Leibniz get equal credit for inventing the field, but during the late 17th century, neither was willing to give the other any credit for the work. Science writer Bardi tells the tale of the public, private, and lifelong feud. It's clear that Newton created calculus in 1666 but kept his invention secret. Leibniz independently created calculus in 1675 and then published his work in two papers, which catapulted him to fame in Europe. Bardi describes how Newton accused Leibniz of stealing his ideas, to which Leibniz responded with his own attacks. The war lasted many years.
Science News
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