What Is a Number?
Mathematical Concepts and Their Origins
By Robert Tubbs, associate professor of mathematics
Mathematics often seems incomprehensible, a melee of strange symbols thrown down on a page. But while formulae, theorems and proofs can involve highly complex concepts, the math becomes transparent when viewed as part of a bigger picture. 鈥淲hat Is a Number?鈥 provides that picture.
Robert Tubbs examines how mathematical concepts like number, geometric truth, infinity and proof have been employed by artists, theologians, philosophers, writers and cosmologists from ancient times to the modern era. Looking at a broad range of topics鈥攆rom Pythagoras鈥檚 exploration of the connection between harmonious sounds and mathematical ratios to the understanding of time in both Western and pre-Columbian thought鈥擳ubbs ties together seemingly disparate ideas to demonstrate the relationship between the sometimes elusive thought of artists and philosophers and the concrete logic of mathematicians.
He complements his textual arguments with diagrams and illustrations. 鈥═his historic and thematic study refutes the received wisdom that mathematical concepts are esoteric and divorced from other intellectual pursuits鈥攔evealing them instead as dynamic and intrinsic to almost every human endeavor.