Written for those among us who are unencumbered by a fear of formulae unknown quantity delivers on its promise to present a history of algebra astonishing in its bold presentation of the math and graced with narrative authority our journey through the world of algebra is at once intellectually satisfying and pleasantly challenging. In this sense unknown quantity has the same goal as prime obsession however the scope of unknown quantity is much larger because algebra is a vast subject with a long history dating back to the babylonians whose coherence is hard to see especially for nonmathematicians. Unknow quantity gives an overview of algebra history and the main thinkers along the evolution of math john derbyshire as a mathematician showed his enthusiasm and knowledge at writing it is very interesting to see how he tries to describe category group and other theories in a simpler way. Perfect for history buffs and armchair algebra experts unknown quantity tells the story of the development of abstract mathematical thought john derbyshire discovers the story behind the formulae roots and radicals as he did so masterfully in prime obsession derbyshire brings the evolution of mathematical thinking to dramatic life by focusing on the key historical players. Amazonin buy unknown quantity a real and imaginary history of algebra book online at best prices in india on amazonin read unknown quantity a real and imaginary history of algebra book reviews author details and more at amazonin free delivery on qualified orders