Anachronisms in the History of Mathematics

Niccolò Guicciardini is Professor in History of Science at the State University of Milan. He holds degrees in physics and philosophy. He has been awarded the Gil Prize (Gulbenkian Foundation), the Bacon Prize (Caltech and the Francis Bacon Foundation), and the Sarton Medal (Ghent University). He is the author of two monographs on Newton's mathematics published by Cambridge University Press.

• 1. Introduction: The Historical Interpretation of Mathematical Texts and the Problem of Anachronism Niccolò Guicciardini; 2. From Reading Rules to Reading Algorithms: Textual Anachronisms in the History of Mathematics and their Effects on Interpretation Karine Chemla; 3. Anachronism and Anachorism in the Study of Mathematics in India Kim Plofker; 4. On the Need to Re-examine the Relationship between the Mathematical Sciences and Philosophy in Greek Antiquity Jacqueline Feke; 5. Productive Anachronism: On Mathematical Reconstruction as a Historiographical Method Martina R. Schneider; 6. Anachronism in the Renaissance Historiography of Mathematics Robert Goulding; 7. Deceptive Familiarity: Differential Equations in Leibniz and the Leibnizian School (1689–1736) Niccolò Guicciardini; 8. Euler and Analysis: Case Studies and Historiographical Perspectives Craig Fraser and Andrew Schroter; 9. Measuring Past Geometers: A History of Non-Metric Projective Anachronism Jemma Lorenat; 10. Anachronism: Bonola and Non-Euclidean Geometry Jeremy Gray; 11. Anachronism and Incommensurability: Words, Concepts, Contexts, and Intentions Joseph W. Dauben; Index.

'… scholarly work … Highly recommended.' V. V. Raman, Choice Magazine