Unknown Quantity is a history of algebra, aimed at a general (i.e. not particularly mathematical) readership. It is a historical survey, with just as much math as the reader will need in order to follow the main lines of development.
There is a general description of the book here, with the table of contents and a list of the most important mathematicians covered in the text.
Four English-language editions are available:
- Original U.S. hardback (on the left in the image above), published in May 2006 by Joseph Henry Press of Washington, D.C.
- U.S. paperback edition (on the right in the image), published in May 2007 by Plume, an imprint of Penguin Books, New York.
- U.K. hardback edition, published April 2007, published by Atlantic Books of London.
- U.K. paperback edition, published April 2008, also by Atlantic Books.
If you would like to comment on the book, or if you think you have spotted an error, please get in touch with me via the email link on my home page, or by postal mail through the relevant publisher.