Bøger af Ad Meskens

In dit boek maken we kennis met een aantal vliegende legenden die in de afgelopen jaren de luchthaven van Antwerpen-Deurne bezocht hebben. Geïnspireerd door de Bevrijdingsdagen 2019 passeren de B-17 Vliegend Fort en de Supermarine Spitfire maar ook oudere toestellen, zoals de Fokker Dr.I en uiteraard de onvolprezen Stampe SV4, de revue.

In this book the classical Greek construction problems are explored in a didactical, enquiry based fashion using Interactive Geometry Software (IGS).

Describes the development and the ultimate demise of the practice of mathematics in sixteenth century Antwerp. The book touches on all aspects of practical mathematics from teaching and instrument making to the practice of building fortifications of the practice of navigation.

In this book the author presents a comprehensive study of Diophantos' monumental work known as Arithmetika, a highly acclaimed and unique set of books within the known Greek mathematical corpus. This allows the author to describe the structure, the contents and the mathematics of the Arithmetika in detail.

In this book the author presents a comprehensive study of Diophantos' monumental work known as Arithmetika, a highly acclaimed and unique set of books within the known Greek mathematical corpus. Its author, Diophantos, is an enigmatic figure of whom we know virtually nothing. Starting with Egyptian, Babylonian and early Greek mathematics the author paints a picture of the sources the Arithmetika may have had. Life in Alexandria, where Diophantos lived, is described and, on the basis of the limited available evidence, his biography is outlined. Of Arithmetika's 13 books only 6 survive in Greek. It was not until 1971 that these were complemented by the discovery of 4 other books in an Arab translation. This allows the author to describe the structure, the contents and the mathematics of the Arithmetika in detail. Furthermore it is shown that Diophantos had a remarkable skill to solve higher degree equations. In the second part, the author draws our attention to the survival of Diophantos' work in both Arab and European mathematical cultures. Once Xylander's critical 1575 edition reached its European public, the fame of the Arithmetika grew. It was studied, translated and modified by such authors as Bombelli, Stevin and Vite. It reached its pinnacle of fame in 1621 with the publication of Bachet's translation into Latin. The marginal notes by Fermat in his copy of Diophantos, including his famous "e;Last Theorem"e;, were the starting point of a whole new research subject: the theory of numbers.