Mathematics for Liberal Arts

By Morris Kline

Book Overview

Practical, scientific, philosophical, and artistic problems have caused men to investigate mathematics. But there is one other motive which is as strong as any of these -- the search for beauty. Mathematics is an art, and as such affords the pleasures which all the arts afford." In this erudite, entertaining college-level text, Morris Kline, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at New York University, provides the liberal arts student with a detailed treatment of mathematics in a cultural and historical context. The book can also act as a self-study vehicle for advanced high school students and laymen.
Professor Kline begins with an overview, tracing the development of mathematics to the ancient Greeks, and following its evolution through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the present day. Subsequent chapters focus on specific subject areas, such as "Logic and Mathematics," "Number: The Fundamental Concept," "Parametric Equations and Curvilinear Motion," "The Differential Calculus," and "The Theory of Probability." Each of these sections offers a step-by-step explanation of concepts and then tests the student's understanding with exercises and problems. At the same time, these concepts are linked to pure and applied science, engineering, philosophy, the social sciences or even the arts.
In one section, Professor Kline discusses non-Euclidean geometry, ranking it with evolution as one of the "two concepts which have most profoundly revolutionized our intellectual development since the nineteenth century." His lucid treatment of this difficult subject starts in the 1800s with the pioneering work of Gauss, Lobachevsky, Bolyai and Riemann, and moves forward to the theory of relativity, explaining the mathematical, scientific and philosophical aspects of this pivotal breakthrough. Mathematics for the Nonmathematician exemplifies Morris Kline's rare ability to simplify complex subjects for the nonspecialist.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486248232
• ISBN13: 9780486248233
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 672 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Interesting stuff.....

I am not a mathematician. I just happen to use math everyday in my trade. Just the usual stuff you use in finance. But I am interested in math, maybe just for fun (??!!). And I found this book to be very well written, very interesting and also it has a lot of history so you get to learn a lot and maybe in doing so, you also get to understand more clearly things that just pass you by when you were at school but you didn't really grasp them. This is math pageturner..I'm not kidding !!!

The only math book that can be enjoyed w/your favorite latte

This book is truly an achievement. While not intended for true practitioners, the book is entertaining while though provoking at the same time. I take it with me to my favorite coffee shop sometimes just to open it randomly and read a few pages at a time. Not only does the author weave great historical moments with the progression of mathematical thought, he covers areas such as physics, art, music, and astronomy. He has also renewed my interest in taking the subject up again after many years. I have enrolled in a course in the Calculus based on this as well as other great math books.

Entertaining

Kline, a noted historian and educator of mathematics, wrote a book that stands the test of time. This isn't of much use to anyone with high-school math who doesn't care to know why math is the way it is. For everyone else, this is a good book. Solutions to problems at the end of the book are very handy. I recommend this book along with Timothy Gowers's "Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction".

Essential reference for a beginning student in math

A must have for the mathmatically curious. The subject seaquence is laid out in a logical order. Beginning with the premises of inductive vs. deductive reasoning, basic algebra, geometry, and the Calculus. This is not a good book for becoming proficient in sepcific areas of mathematics, but offered for me at least, a logical reference point for approaching the core sujects. I highly recommend this book for self-study.

An excellent book for an easy read in mathematics

I think the author not only knows mathematics, but also knows a lot about other fields, like physics, music, and painting. He is an expert in the history of mathematics and explains well how each important mathematics concept was developed over time. However, I would like to stress that Kline knows how to teach. The structure and the helpful hits in the books are valuble resources for any instructor who wishes to teach a course using this book as the main textbook.