Significant Figures: Lives and Works of Trailblazing Mathematicians

Despite the mysterious origin of its individual elements, mathematics is not born in a vacuum: it is created by people. Some of these people show amazing originality and clarity of mind. It is to them that we owe great breakthrough discoveries, it is them that we call pioneers, trailblazers, significant figures in mathematics. Ian Stewart describes the discoveries and reveals the fate of 25 of the...