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Mathematics in Society and History

Sociological Inquiries

  • Book
  • © 1992

Overview

Authors:
  1. Sal Restivo

    1. Science and Technology Studies Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, USA

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Part of the book series: Episteme (EPIS, volume 20)

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
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  2. Introduction

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Mathematics and Culture

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 3-9

    3. Mathematics from the Ground Up

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 10-20

  3. Mathematical Traditions

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 21-21
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    2. The Mathematics of Survival in China

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 23-34

    3. Mathematics in Context: The Arabic-Islamic Golden Age

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 35-46

    4. Indian Mathematics: A History of Episodes

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 47-54

    5. Mathematics and Renaissance in Japan

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 55-60

    6. Conflict, Social Change, and Mathematics in Europe

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 61-96

  4. Back Matter

    Pages 89-96
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  5. Math Worlds

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 97-97
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    2. Mathematics as Representation

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 99-128

    3. Foundations of the Sociology of Pure Mathematics

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 129-148

    4. The Social Relations of Pure Mathematics

      • Sal Restivo
      Pages 149-176

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 177-202
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Keywords

About this book

This is the first book by a sociologist devoted exclusively to a general sociology of mathematics. The author provides examples of different ways of thinking about mathematics sociologically. The survey of mathematical traditions covers ancient China, the Arabic-Islamic world, India, and Europe. Following the leads of classical social theorists such as Emile Durkheim, Restivo develops the idea that mathematical concepts and ideas are collective representations, and that it is mathematical communities that create mathematics, not individual mathematicians. The implications of the sociology of mathematics, and especially of pure mathematics, for a sociology of mind are also explored. In general, the author's objective is to explore, conjecture, suggest, and stimulate in order to introduce the sociological perspective on mathematics, and to broaden and deepen the still narrow, shallow path that today carries the sociology of mathematics.
This book will interest specialists in the philosophy, history, and sociology of mathematics, persons interested in mathematics education, students of science and society, and people interested in current developments in the social and cultural analysis of science and mathematics.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Science and Technology Studies Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, USA

    Sal Restivo

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Mathematics in Society and History

  • Book Subtitle: Sociological Inquiries

  • Authors: Sal Restivo

  • Series Title: Episteme

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2944-2

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1992

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-7923-1765-4Published: 30 November 1992

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4020-0039-3Published: 30 November 2001

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-011-2944-2Published: 01 December 2013

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 202

  • Topics: Philosophy of Science, Mathematics Education, History of Mathematical Sciences

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