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Graph Theory 1736-1936
First published in 1976, this book has been widely acclaimed as a major and enlivening contribution to the history of mathematics. The updated and corrected paperback contains extracts from the original writings of mathematicians who contributed to the foundations of graph theory. The author's commentary links each piece historically and frames the whole with explanations of the relevant mathematical terminology and notation.
252 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 1976
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February 27, 2013
This was probably the best organizing format of any mathematics book I've read so far. The idea is to take one subject and trace its development via the actual publications that advanced (or in the case of Peter Tait, derailed) our understanding of the matter. The publications were pared down to the most critical sections and usually explained somewhat before they were introduced in order to prepare the reader to grasp the new concepts.
It was so well done that it was hard not to give it five stars, but I can think of at least one way it could have been better. The authors made a choice to adhere closely to historical accuracy at the expense of clarity. They chose to present the extracts with the original terminology intact often requiring some explanation as the terminologies switched often between papers. A five star book would have standardized the terms and left the historical accuracy to the appendices. I also would have appreciated some sample problems to work out at the end of each chapter to help hone my understanding of the new material.
In the end however, it is still a great book. It was entertaining and educational. They kept things from getting too dry with plenty of biographical material. Perhaps the subject matter was particularly suited for this type of treatment in a popular book, being tied strongly to visual perception and concepts used in puzzles, but I would love to see other mathematical subjects similarly treated.
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It was so well done that it was hard not to give it five stars, but I can think of at least one way it could have been better. The authors made a choice to adhere closely to historical accuracy at the expense of clarity. They chose to present the extracts with the original terminology intact often requiring some explanation as the terminologies switched often between papers. A five star book would have standardized the terms and left the historical accuracy to the appendices. I also would have appreciated some sample problems to work out at the end of each chapter to help hone my understanding of the new material.
In the end however, it is still a great book. It was entertaining and educational. They kept things from getting too dry with plenty of biographical material. Perhaps the subject matter was particularly suited for this type of treatment in a popular book, being tied strongly to visual perception and concepts used in puzzles, but I would love to see other mathematical subjects similarly treated.
Displaying 1 of 1 review