Reckonings : numerals, cognition, and history / Stephen Chrisomalis.

Show other versions (1)

"An anthropological exploration of evolving number systems and how they are used, and eventually displace, by newer number systems"--

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chrisomalis, Stephen, 1974- (Author)
Language:English
Published: Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2020]
Subjects:
Numeration > History.
Number concept.
MATHEMATICS / General.
Numeration.
Number theory.
History.
Genre:
History.
Physical Description:xvii, 245 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Format: Book
Contents:
  • Introduction: Three reckonings
  • The limits of numerical cognition
  • Conspicuous computation
  • The decline and fall of the Roman numerals, I : of screws and hammers
  • The decline and fall of the Roman numerals, II : safety in numbers
  • Number crunching
  • How to choose a number
  • To infinity and beyond?