For the Recorde

Gareth Ffowc Roberts

Description

This book celebrates the life and work of twelve mathematicians who were either born in Wales or who worked in Wales. When the Welsh national anthem was composed in 1856, Wales was at the centre of the industrial revolution, the country was transformed by engineering and technology, and scientific societies flourished across the length and breadth of the land. By 1859, Charles Darwin had published his On the Origin of Species, and one of its outcomes in Wales was a growing tension between religion and science, which influenced peoples’ perceptions of their Welshness. By the end of the nineteenth century, that perception had narrowed to include its poetry, music, religion and little else. Following the popularity of his book Count Us In, the author adopts a similar style inviting us to take pride in our mathematicians and demonstrating how the tide has turned.

Acknowledgements
Preface
Map of Wales
Think of a number
From Môn across the Menai
How I wish I could calculate pi
Chance and circumstance
Building bridges
A giant among pygmies
What is the title of this chapter?
Mathematics for the million
Whence then cometh wisdom?
Clearing the bottleneck
Precise imprecision
Go for gold
In conclusion
Answers to puzzles
Notes on chapters
Index

Sujets

• Sciences formelles
• Histoire des mathématiques
• Essays
• Sciences et techniques
• Mathematics
• Wales

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 septembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781786839176
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 9 Mo

Extrait

For the Recorde

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F A Welsh History or the Recorde of Mathematical Greats

Gareth Ffowc Roberts

University of Wales Press 2022

© Gareth Ffowc Roberts, 2022 A rîghts reserved. No part of thîs book may be reproduced în any materîa form (încudîng photocopyîng or storîng ît în any medîum by eectronîc means and whether or not transîenty or încîdentay to some other use of thîs pubîcatîon) wîthout the wrîtten permîssîon of the copyrîght owner except în accordance wîth the provîsîons of the Copyrîght, Desîgns and Patents Act 1988. Appîcatîons for the copyrîght owner’s wrîtten permîssîon to reproduce any part of thîs pubîcatîon shoud be addressed to The Unîversîty of Waes Press, Unîversîty Regîstry, Kîng Edward VII Avenue, Cardîff CF10 3NS www.uwp.co.uk

Brîtîsh Lîbrary Cataloguîng-în-Publîcatîon Data A cataogue record for thîs book îs avaîabe from the Brîtîsh Lîbrary.

ISBN 978-1-78683916-9 e-ISBN 978-1-78683-917-6

The rîght of Gareth Ffowc Roberts to be îdentîied as author of thîs work has been asserted în accordance wîth sectîons 77 and 79 of the Copyrîght, Desîgns and Patents Act 1988.

Dedicated to the memory of Llewelyn Gwyn Chambers (1924–2014), a pioneer in the history of Wales’s mathematicians.

Were you to ask peope to name Waes’s ceebrîtîes, the chances are that most woud încude poets, wrîters, sîngers and others în the arts word, past and present. Were you to ask the same peope to name Wesh mathematîcîans, theîr responses are unîkey to be so înstant and assured. (trans.)

L. G. Chambers

Mathemategwyr Cymru(Cardîff, 1994)

To my grandchildren, Elis, Gwydion, Mari, Miriam and Olwen

Contents

Acknowedgements Preface

Map of Waes

1  Thînk of a number 2  From Môn across the Menaî 3 I wîsh I coud cacuate pî How 4 and cîrcumstance Chance 5  Buîdîng brîdges 6  A gîant among pygmîes 7 îs the tîte of thîs chapter? What 8 for the mîîon Mathematîcs 9 then cometh wîsdom? Whence 10  Cearîng the botteneck 11 împrecîsîon Precîse 12  Go for god Concusîon Answers to puzzes

Notes on chapters

Index

îx xî xvîî

1 11 21 31 43 55 67 77 89 101 111 121 133 137 141

153

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Acknowledgements

nspîred by years of workîng wîth others and sharîng îdeas, I have been fortunate în beîng abe to proit from the enthusîasm of I WALMATO (thetheîr students. I am partîcuary îndebted to teachers and theîr pupîs, and the experîence of ecturers and Wesh Assocîatîon of Lecturers în Mathematîcs în the Area Traînîng Organîsatîon), a remarkabe socîety of specîaîsts în mathematîcs educatîon în Waes, for îts generous support. I am gratefu to the anonymous îndependent reader for a raft of însîghtfu comments and posîtîve encouragement. Staff at the Unîversîty of Waes Press were unstîntîng în theîr support throughout the process. It can be a sautary experîence to subject onesef to crîtîcîsm from one’s own famîy, partîcuary îts younger members. The Wesh adage, ‘Yr hen a wŷr a’r îfanc a dybîa’ (îteray, ‘the od know, the young ony thînk they know’), îs comfortîng but mîseadîng; better to deveop a thîck skîn and penty of humîîty to accept theîr advîce and to recognîse that they’re absoutey spot on. Any errors în the book are attrîbutabe to just one person, the author hîmsef.