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W. behandelt zwei grundverschiedene theoretische Zugange zu dem Problem der Refraktion, die beide fur die weitere Entwicklung sowohl der Optik als auch der gesamten Physik von uberragender Bedeutung waren. Dabei treten die Schwierigkeiten zutage, die bei der Herausbildung der uns so vertrauten physikalischen Begriffe und mathematischen Methoden zu uberwinden waren. Die Lebendigkeit der Darstellung lasst die prinzipielle Aktualitat dieser Problematik leicht erkennen: das Ringen um geeignete Begrifflichkeit und Methodik ist ein standiges zentrales, wenn auch subtiles Anliegen jeder exakten Naturforschung, wie gerade die umwalzenden Entwicklungen in der Physik des 20. Jahrhunderts belegen. Schliesslich gelingt es in diesem Buch erstmals, den seit uber 300 Jahren schwelenden Prioritatskonflikt um die Entdeckung des Brechungsgesetzes - kurz: "Descartes oder Snellius?" - in uberzeugender Weise zu losen. Die hier vorgelegte Untersuchung dieser Problematik durfte die nun massgebliche Darstellung sein. "Es ist dem Verfasser gelungen, eine hochst verwickelte, uber zahlreiche Textstellen verstreute und aufgrund terminologischer Schwierigkeiten oft kaum nachvollziehbare wissenschaftliche Diskussion uber ein zentrales Problem der Physik im 17. Jahrhunderts uberzeugend zu rekonstruieren und anhand geschickt ausgewahlter Zitate ubersichtlich darzustellen. Besonders hervorzuheben ist in diesem Zusammenhang das funfte Kapitel, in dem gezeigt wird, wie Fermat in einer fur den modernen Leser uberaus umstandlichen Rechnung von seinem Minimalprinzip zum Brechungsgesetz gelangt ist." Archives Internationales d'Histoire des Sciences . (Franz Steiner 1998) ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Science and Its Times, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1303 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science in this interdisciplinary reference work. Essays on people, theories, discoveries, and concepts are combined with overviews, bibliographies of primary documents, and chronological elements to offer students a fascinating way to understand the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life. Entries represent people and developments throughout the world, from about 2000 B.C. through the end of the twentieth century. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Macmillan Reference USA Science Library: Mathematics, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 831 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Explores the functions of math in daily life, as well as its role as a tool for measurement, data analysis, and technological development. This illustrated set also explains basic concepts of math and geometry, and provides information on historical milestones, notable mathematicians, and today's career choices. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

A Fine History of Probability
It is fascinating to consider what an in depth discussion of chance was like prior to the currently known concepts of probability.Yet two renowned mathematicians formed the basis of what we know today via such a correspondence in the mid 1600s.The exchange between Pascal and Fermat regarding a coin flipping game illustrates how the formation of expectation developed, and consequently various other probability principles.

Devlin's book describes the essence of this exchange by taking segments of the correspondence between the two men as a heading for each chapter followed by historical insight into each aspect.At its core, The Unfinished Game is a fine history of probability, complete with chronicles of prominent mathematicians and their respective contributions.Devlin's writing style permits the material to flow easily and is eloquent enough for those without strong mathematical aptitudes to also enjoy the material.

Great fun with Game Theory
A fun book for those interested in Game Theory.While not a book for everyone, this one presents a good description of one aspect of this field of mathematics, and is actually so well written that it is fun reading.

No problems with the Kindle version
One of the reviewers said that the Kindle version of this book was hard to read.However, I had no problems at all with the Kindle version.I also really enjoyed the book.It is a short but fascinating glimpse into the history of probability.

Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections
Mathematician Keith Devlin presents The Unfinished Game: Pascal, Fermat, and the Seventeenth-Century Letter that Made the World Modern, the true story of how Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat exchanged a series of meticulous letters in the 1600's that would lay the groundwork for modern probability theory, used today in everything from the insurance industry to job markets and safety evaluations of cars and planes. Even though The Unfinished Game addresses mathematical concepts, the text strives to be accessible to readers of all backgrounds. The astounding true story of how revolutionary scientific concepts were born unfolds. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.

Kindle version is hard ro read
I saw the book in the bookstore and got my sample for Kindle. I found it too tough to read on kindle because the text was fuzzy and the font indistinct. I'll wait for it to come out in paperback. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Science and Its Times, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1445 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science in this interdisciplinary reference work. Essays on people, theories, discoveries, and concepts are combined with overviews, bibliographies of primary documents, and chronological elements to offer students a fascinating way to understand the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life. Entries represent people and developments throughout the world, from about 2000 B.C. through the end of the twentieth century. ... Read more

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Progress in the theory of economic equilibria and in game threory has proceeded hand in hand with that of the mathematical tools used in the field, namely nonlinear analysis and, in particular, convex analysis. Jean-Pierre Aubin, one of the leading specialists in nonlinear analysis and its application to economics, has written a rigorous and concise - yet still elementary and self-contained - textbook providing the mathematical tools needed to study optima and equilibria, as solutions to problems, arising in economics, management sciences, operations research, cooperative and non-cooperative games, fuzzy games etc. It begins with the foundations of optimization theory, and mathematical programming, and in particular convex and nonsmooth analysis. Nonlinear analysis is then presented, first game-theoretically, then in the framework of set valued analysis. These results are then applied to the main classes of economic equilibria. The text continues with game theory, non-cooperative (Nash) equilibria, Pareto optima, core and finally some fuzzy game theory. The book closes with numerous exercises and problems: the latter allow the reader to venture into areas of nonlinear analysis that lie beyond the scope of the book and of most courses. ... Read more