xiIntroduction
Introduction
mathematics, especially in algebra. Use this as a starting point to find
outmore about those who particularly interest you. The Recommended
Reading section in the back of the book will help guide you to other
great resources to expand your knowledge.
A word about dates: Throughout time, calendaring and chronicling dates
has been inconsistent at best. A number of different dates are recorded in
research on a variety of people, for a variety of reasons, and some of the
dates you find in this book will not match with some you might find in
other references. In many cases, no documentation exists that gives a
precise date for someone’s birth. Often, dates have been calculated by
historians, and many historians disagree with each other’s calculations.
In addition, many countries have used different calendar systems,
making it impossible to have adate that anyone agrees on for any given
event. For example, December 24 in one calendar system might be
calculated to be January 7 in another. The dates used in this section
reflect the most common aggregate of dates considered to be accurate
for any individual listed here.
CHRONOLOGY
Did you know that the famous Egyptian Rosetta Stone helped play a part
in our understanding of ancient mathematics? Or that Galileo Galilei
died the same day Sir Isaac Newton was born? Our history of algebra
dates from ancient times, through the Renaissance, to the present day,
spanning nearly 4,000 years of events. These remarkable contributions
of the past have made it possible to develop everything from the chaos
theory to telephones and computers.
CHARTS AND TABLES
The Glossary is the best place to get a quick answer on the definition of
a word or phrase. The Charts and Tables section is your best resource for
some in-depth examples. You will also find items here that are organized
in a precise way for a quick reference on specific information you might
need, such as the different types of numbers, the kinds of plane figures,
the characteristics of different triangles, and how to calculate using
F.O.I.L. or P.E.M.D.A.S. There is an extensive section on measurements
and their equivalents, another on theorems and formulas, and still
another on mathematical symbols that will be helpful as you delve into
your study of algebra.