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Adult Math Classics

  • Schneider, A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe

  • Dunham, The Mathematical Universe

  • Benjamin, Secrets of Mental Math

  • Penrose, The Road to Reality

  • Plato, Timaeus; First mathematical treatise of western thought

  • Aristotle, Analytica Priora et Posteriora; System of deductive logic and method

  • Euclid, The Elements (in three volumes); Exhaustive compliation of Greek geometry

  • Archimedes, The Sand Reckoner; Introduces base-ten system, principle of the logarithm

  • Archimedes, Method; Foundation of integral calculus

  • Apollonius, Conic Sections; Exhaustive work on the conic sections

  • Nicomachus, Introduction to Arithmetic; Compilation of arithmetic principles

  • Ptolemy, The Almagest; Greek trigonometry used to record star positions

  • al-Khowarizmi, al-jabr w’al-muqabalah; First treatise on algebra and Hindu-Arabic numerals

  • Fibonacci, Libro di bacci; Introduces Hindu-Arabic numerals to Europe

  • da Vinci, Linear Perspective; The mathematical elements of painting

  • Stevin, La Disme; Systematic treatment of decimal fractions

  • Cardano, Ars Magna; Solves cubic and bi-quadratic equations, imaginary numbers

  • Galileo, Two New Sciences; Challenges Aristotle’s law of falling bodies

  • Descartes, Geometry; Lays the foundation of analytical geometry

  • Fermat, On the Theory of Probabilities; Pascal lays the foundation of probability

  • Newton, The Principia; Invention of calculus and defines gravity

  • Bernoulli, Law of Large Numbers; Lays the foundation of statistics

  • Euler, Seven Bridges of Konigsberg; Lays the foundation of topology

  • La Place, Celestial Mechanics; Applies calculus to heavenly orbits

  • La Place (Sommerville translation), Celestial Mechanics [click here for online text]; Expansion of La Place’s work

  • Boole, Symbolic Logic; Discovery of symbolic and boolean logic

  • Abbott, Flatland; Fictional work about mathematical dimensions

  • Poincare, Chance; Probability and statistics 

  • Poincare, Mathematical Creation; How to create mathematics

  • Mendeleev, Periodic Law of the Chemical Elements; Lays the foundation for the periodic table

  • Whitehead, Principia Mathematica; Deepest study of the foundations of mathematics

  • Polya, How to Solve It; Problem solving

  • Jeans, Science and Music; Lays the foundation for the physics of music

  • von Neumann, Games and Economic Behavior; Lays the foundation of game theory

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