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Essais d’histoire des mathématiques. Réunis et introduits par Roshdi Rashed. (French) Zbl 0558.01037

Bibliothèque Scientifique Albert Blanchard. Paris: Librairie Scientifique et Technique Albert Blanchard. 386 p. FF 180.00 (1984).
The present collection of essays brings together most of the articles by the mathematician and historian of mathematics Jean Itard. The collection begins with a listing of Itard’s works (books, introductions, and papers). The book is organized into five chapters: I. five essays dealing with various aspects of the two fundamental concepts in classical mathematics: number and magnitude; II. six items on Greek mathematics; III. ten items on fifteenth and seventeenth century mathematics and mathematicians; IV. three items on eighteenth and early nineteenth century mathematicians; and V. three items on the teaching of mathematics. The introductions to each chapter by the editor are particularly informative and interesting. While not listing each paper individually, perhaps a few of the items in this fascinating collection might serve to whet the interest of potential readers: ”The theory of numbers and the origins of modern algebra”, ”Infinitesimal methods in Euclid and Archimedes”, ”Methods used by Fermat in number theory”, ”On the history of continued fractions”. Perhaps the preceding choices reflect the reviewer’s interests; however, it is nevertheless certain that nearly everyone interested in mathematics and its history will find several items of great interest in this marvellous collection.
Reviewer: F.J.Papp

MSC:

01A75 Collected or selected works; reprintings or translations of classics