Non Euclidean Geometry

Non-Euclidean Geometry is a history of the alternate geometries that have emerged since the rejection of Euclid s parallel postulate. Italian mathematician ROBERTO BONOLA (1874 1911) begins by surveying efforts by Greek, Arab, and Renaissance mathematicians to close the gap in Euclid s axiom. Then, starting with the 17th century, as mathematicians began to question whether it was actually possible to prove Euclid s postulate, he examines non-Euclidean predecessors Saccheri, Lambert, Legendre, W. Bolyai, Wachter, and Thibaut, and non-Euclidean founders Gauss, Schweikart, Taurinus, Lobachevski, and J. Bolyai. He concludes with a look at later developments in non-Euclidean geometry. Including five appendices and an index of authors, Bonola s Non-Euclidean Geometry is a useful reference guide for students of mathematical history.