Underground Mathematics

Rezensionen / Stimmen

'This important book takes recent interest in early-modern practical mathematics into a fresh working setting, the unique challenges of land surveying in mining practice, identifying a robust 'craft of subterranean geometry', in relation to other forms of mathematical and material culture. A sophisticated, authoritative and original analysis.' Jim Bennett, Science Museum, London 'State-organised mining was the first large-scale technological system in early modern Europe. This thoroughly researched book presents fascinating stories about the challenges of underground measurements, the construction of mining maps, and the politics of mining. It provides unprecedented insights into mining surveyors' activities and the art-science of underground geometry.' Ursula Klein, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science 'This is an innovative and thought-provoking book on a rather abstruse topic. Dismissing the geometry of mines as described by humanist scholars, the author delves into the rich and diverse archives of mining offices, and offers a rare glimpse on how a specific mathematical culture developed underground, standardized and circulated.' Jeanne Peiffer, CNRS, Centre Alexandre Koyre, Paris