The Struggle for Algebra: English mathematics around 1660
The talk will set out the key debate in England at the Restoration, the need for a new orientation in mathematics towards algebra and the new “analysis”. It will focus on efforts by three central players in England’s mathematical community, John Pell, John Collins, and the Oxford mathematician John Wallis to produce an English language algebra text which would play a pioneering role in promoting this change. What was the background to the work we now call Pell’s Algebra and why was it so significant?
Date:
22 May 2017, 17:00
Venue:
Mathematical Institute, Woodstock Road OX2 6GG
Venue Details:
L3
Speaker:
Philip Beeley (University of Oxford)
Organising department:
Mathematical Institute
Organiser:
Christopher Hollings (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
christopher.hollings@maths.ox.ac.uk
Host:
Christopher Hollings (University of Oxford)
Part of:
What do historians of mathematics do?
Topics:
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Christopher Hollings
