The Crest of the Peacock

An examination of systems of mathematics other than the Greek and Arabic tradition. Vedic, Islamic, Chinese, Persian and African traditions are covered together with examples of how particular calculations would have been performed.

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Most westerners are unaware of the heritage of non-Western mathematics. This book suggests that humans everywhere have been capable of advanced and innovative mathematical thinking. The Greeks were influenced by the Egyptians and Babylonians; the Arabs made a major creative contribution; and the great civilizations of India and China have a range of successes to their credit. Beginning with the Ishango Bone of central Africa and the Inca quipu of South America, the book continues to the dawn of modern mathematics, questioning familiar assumptions and enlarging the meaning of mathematics.