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Convergence articles

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The Great Calculation According to the Indians, of Maximus Planudes

A translation of part of a thirteenth century work by the Byzantine monk Maximus Planudes on the Hindu-Arabic numerals and the algorithms for calculation.

Weight of a Ball

If a ball 6 inches in diameter weighs 32 lbs, what will be the weight of a ball 3 inches in diameter?

Who's That Mathematician? Images from the Paul R. Halmos Photograph Collection
Paul Halmos Photograph Collection, page 3: M. Auslander, R. Baer, Banchoff, C. N. Moore, I. A. Barnett, P. Erdos, and Lida Barrett
The Calculus Gallery

A gallery of episodes from the history of calculus.

Simon Jacob's Rechenbuch
This is the title page of the 1599 edition of the Rechenbuch of Simon Jacob (d. 1564), a Rechenmeister of the sixteenth century. This was a commercial arithmetic text, in which the basic laws of arithmetic were applied to many practical problems.
Area Approximation

Fibonacci gave a practical rule for approximating the area of an equilateral triangle.

How Mathematics Happened: The First 50,000 Years

A popular history of ancient mathematics, dealing with the mathematics of ancient Egypt and Babylonia.

An Imaginary Tale: The Story of √-1
The author became fascinated with the mysterious role of √-1 in electronics. Turning to history for insight, he brings the perspectives of both a practical man and a scholar in conveying the enchantment of mathematics for a non-mathematician.
Euler Tercentenary Year
2007 marks the three hundredth anniversary of the birth of Leonhard Euler, the most prolific mathematician of all time. There are numerous events throughout the world celebrating this anniversary, many of which are listed here.
Approximate Construction of Regular Polygons: Two Renaissance Artists

Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Durer both offered approximate constructions of regular pentagons for the use of artists. This article explains these constructions.

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