Stories by Amir Alexander

The Glory of Math Is to Matter

In 1842, when the famed German mathematician Carl Gustav Jacobi was invited to speak to a scientific meeting in Manchester, he had a surprise in store for his English hosts.

August 11, 2014 — Amir Alexander

The Secret Spiritual History of Calculus

Integral calculus originated in a 17th-century debate that was as religious as it was scientific

April 14, 2014 — Amir Alexander

A Brief History of Infinitesimals: The Idea That Gave Birth to Modern Calculus

Learning to see the infinite in lines, planes and solids changed math forever

April 4, 2014 — Amir Alexander