A Concise History of Mathematics; Pages 101-150

Summary: The book began to talk about more recent mathematics; mathematics that was being invented, and used during the 18th century. The book mentions many of the great mathematicians during the 18th century, for example, Leibniz, Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, and the Bernoulli brothers. For the most part, mathematical productivity in the eighteenth century concentrated on the calculus and its application to mathematics. The book also mentions the 19th century, and how the French Revolution and the Napoleonic period help further the growth of mathematics. Many of the great minds of the 19th century are: Friedrich, Legendre, Monge, and Galois.

Quotation: "To the France of the Age of Enlightenment belongs the first comprehensive history of mathematics, a very readable narrative, not just a catalog of names and titles like those of the past" (Struik 137).

Reaction: The Age of Enlightenment was one of the most important eras in dealing with how far France has improved scientifically and mathematically. It is important to understand that it was during the Age of Enlightenment that the first comprehensive history of mathematics belonged to France.