000			a
999			_c31048 _d31048
008			230205b xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
020			_a9780691183671
082			_a510.92 _bTOS
100			_aToscano, Fabio
245			_aSecret formula : how a mathematical duel inflamed Renaissance Italy and uncovered the cubic equation
260			_aPrinceton : _bPrinceton University Press, _c2020
300			_aviii, 161 p.; _bill _c25 cm
365			_b24.95 _cUSD _d86.10
504			_aIncludes bibliographical references and index.
520			_aThe Secret Formula tells the story of two Renaissance mathematicians whose jealousies, intrigues, and contentious debates led to the discovery of a formula for the solution of the cubic equation. Niccolò Tartaglia was a talented and ambitious teacher who possessed a secret formula--the key to unlocking a seemingly unsolvable, two-thousand-year-old mathematical problem. He wrote it down in the form of a poem to prevent other mathematicians from stealing it. Gerolamo Cardano was a physician, gifted scholar, and notorious gambler who would not hesitate to use flattery and even trickery to learn Tartaglia's secret. Set against the backdrop of sixteenth-century Italy, The Secret Formula provides new and compelling insights into the peculiarities of Renaissance mathematics while bringing a turbulent and culturally vibrant age to life. It was an era when mathematicians challenged each other in intellectual duels held outdoors before enthusiastic crowds. Success not only enhanced the winner's reputation, but could result in prize money and professional acclaim. After hearing of Tartaglia's spectacular victory in one such contest in Venice, Cardano invited him to Milan, determined to obtain his secret by whatever means necessary. Cardano's intrigues paid off. In 1545, he was the first to publish a general solution of the cubic equation. Tartaglia, eager to take his revenge by establishing his superiority as the most brilliant mathematician of the age, challenged Cardano to the ultimate mathematical duel. A lively and compelling account of genius, betrayal, and all-too-human failings, The Secret Formula reveals the epic rivalry behind one of the fundamental ideas of modern algebra.
650			_aAlgebra
650			_aEquations History
650			_aCubic History
650			_aMathematics History & Philosophy
650			_aEurope
650			_a Babylonian mathematics
650			_a Da Bassano,Zuanantonio
650			_aEgyptian mathematics
650			_aFerrari,Ludovico
650			_a Mesopotamian mathematics
650			_aMoscow papyrus
650			_aPacioli, Luca
650			_a Quesiti ed inventioni diverse
650			_a Rhind papyrus
650			_aTartaglia,Niccolo
650			_aVitruvius
650			_aGerolamo Cardaro
700			_aSangalli, Arturo
942			_2ddc _cBK