The Calculus Wars: Newton, Leibniz, and the Greatest Mathematical Clash of All Time

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 304 pages
• Published by: Basic Books April 25, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1560259922
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1560259923
• Book Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 8.8 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Those interested in a lucid, nontechnical account of the battle between Isaac Newton (1642–1727) and German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) over who invented calculus will welcome science writer and debut author Bardi's cautionary tale. As early as 1665, Newton composed a manuscript detailing his method of calculus with examples, but after his unpleasant experience with a 1672 paper on optics that aroused the ire of Robert Hooke, an eminent member of the Royal Society who accused the younger man of plagiarism, Newton became shy of publishing. Between 1672 and 1676, Leibniz independently discovered calculus, using notation that has since become standard. When Leibniz published his results, Newton's allies rushed to discredit Leibniz in what developed, in Bardi's words, into "the greatest intellectual property debate of all time." While a few personal asides might better have been put in the preface, Bardi provides a timeless lesson about human pride as he describes the series of misunderstandings and miscommunications that led to the clash between these two great minds, "perhaps the greatest of their day." Illus. not seen by PW. (May 10)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
This vibrant and gripping history ultimately exposes how these twin mathematical giants (Newton, Leibniz) were proud, brilliant, at times mad, and in the end completely human.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: The Calculus Wars: Newton, Leibniz, and the Greatest Mathematical Clash of All Time (Hardcover) As Mr. Bardi points out in his book The Calculus Wars, most modern historians of science agree that Sir Isaac Newton (the great English scientist) and Gottfried Leibniz (the great German philosopher) each discovered the calculus independently. It is also generally accepted that, though Newton discovered the calculus many years before Leibniz, Leibniz published first and continued to work on the development of the subject long after Newton had moved on to other pursuits. And therein lies a tale. The battle between Newton and Leibniz over the "credit" for discovering calculus is one of the great intellectual priority fights in the history of science. It is fascinating for many reasons but first among these must be for the insights it provides into the personalities of two mathematical geniuses: Newton's hypersensitive and introverted nature versus Leibniz's unflinching pursuit of truth as he perceived it in the face of all obstacles. Place on top of this the fact that this fight wasn't picked until they were both in the twilight of their careers, the fact that distance and slow communication made determining what's what more difficult and the fact that, in many ways, this was a reflection of England versus the Continent and you have a war well-joined indeed. As a physicist and teacher, I was well aware of this conflict but Mr. Bardi has done a very good job of bringing out its details. The only thing I would caution readers of is that Mr. Bardi generally stays very close to his topic. What I mean is that he only provides biographical details that are germane to his story. Being very familiar with these two characters from other reading, I was clear on most of the situations he describes. Those less familiar with the people involved may have more trouble. Still, if Newton and Leibniz are personalities that interest you, this is a lively telling of a pivotal and often lost part of their lives.