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Description
The Cult of Pythagoras: Math and MythsIn this follow up to his popular Science Secrets, Alberto A. Mart nez discusses various popular myths from the history of mathematics: that Pythagoras proved the hypotenuse theorem, that Archimedes figured out how to test the purity of a gold crown while he was in a bathtub, that the Golden Ratio is in nature and ancient architecture, that the young Galois created group theory the night before the pistol duel that killed him, and more. Some stories
In this follow-up to his popular Science Secrets, Alberto A. Mart nez discusses various popular myths from the history of mathematics: that Pythagoras proved the hypotenuse theorem, that Archimedes figured out how to test the purity of a gold crown while he was in a bathtub, that the Golden Ratio is in nature and ancient architecture, that the young Galois created group theory the night before the pistol duel that killed him, and more. Some stories are partly true, others are entirely false, but all show the power of invention in history. Pythagoras emerges as a symbol of the urge to conjecture and "fill in the gaps" of history. He has been credited with fundamental discoveries in mathematics and the sciences, yet there is nearly no evidence that he really contributed anything to such fields at all. This book asks: how does history change when we subtract the many small exaggerations and interpolations that writers have added for over two thousand years? The Cult of Pythagoras is also about invention in a positive sense. Most people view mathematical breakthroughs as "discoveries" rather than invention or creativity, believing that mathematics describes a realm of eternal ideas. But mathematicians have disagreed about what is possible and impossible, about what counts as a proof, and even about the results of certain operations. Was there ever invention in the history of concepts such as zero, negative numbers, imaginary numbers, quaternions, infinity, and infinitesimals? Mart nez inspects a wealth of primary sources, in several languages, over a span of many centuries. By exploring disagreements and ambiguities in the history of the elements of mathematics, The Cult of Pythagoras dispels myths that obscure the actual origins of mathematical concepts. Mart nez argues that an accurate history that analyzes myths reveals neglected aspects of mathematics that can encourage creativity in students and mathematicians.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
Published: 06/26/2013
ISBN: 9780822962700
Pages: 264
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.10w x 0.90d
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★★★★★ 5
Decent quality for the price
Color: Grey
Decent quality for the price. Other privacy screens were extremely out of my budget, but this looks and works just fine- I just needed something simple to place behind my couch to hide some clutter. It took me about a half hour to assemble, but it was easy enough.
It might be due to my carpeting, but I don't trust that the screen would be stable enough to stand freely without falling. Thankfully my
plan all along was to wedge the screen between the couch and a box of clutter anyway, so for me it works as l'd planned!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Overpriced but effective.
Color: Cream
I happened to get lucky and get a warehouse deal at an additional 30% discount. Even at $25, it feels a little overpriced. But it was easy to assemble and serves its purpose. If you line the Velcro up exactly, the panels sag, if you stretch past even, but where it still grips, they look pretty ok. It is very light and does fold very compact for easy storage.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Great price for a great product
Color: Coal Black
Excellent quality and great price to boot. Easy to assemble and folds up easily to be stored. We are using it as a privacy screen when we have company that needs to sleep on the couch and also to block off a hallway leading to a guest suite. It looks great and is as described in the ad
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Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2025
★★★★★ 1
No.
Color: Coal Black, Color: Coal Black
This was horribly made and a nightmare to put together. You have to basically bend the bars to get the coverings attached. The sizes don't match. The stickers that label the parts are impossible to remove and if you do get them off theres a lot of residue left behind. On top of that once it was put together I noticed theres a big dirty foot print on it which is definitely not mine.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2026
★★★★★ 3
You have to add weight to it
Color: Coal Black
It does its job and it was easy to put together but it's a little on the flimsy side and it will easily be knocked down. So you're going to have to figure out a way to make the legs heavier? I used cinder blocks, single cinder blocks and it works just fine. Just know that it will knock over super easy
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Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2026
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