Does anyone know of a good book on the history of imaginary numbers and complex analysis and its role in physics?
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3$\begingroup$ Umberto Bottazzini & Jeremy Gray, Hidden Harmony - Geometric Fantasies: The Rise of Complex Function Theory (2013). $\endgroup$– Mauro ALLEGRANZASep 10, 2016 at 15:57
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$\begingroup$ Another book: Cauchy and the Creation of Complex Function Theory by Frank Smithies. $\endgroup$– SaikatJan 3, 2021 at 5:05
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1 Answer
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I would say that there is no good book which satisfies your description. The Book of Bottazzini and Grey mentioned in the comments is OK, but it certainly does not cover the role of complex analysis in physics. A better book is J. Dieudonne, Abrégé d'histoire des mathématiques 1700–1900, Hermann, Paris, 1978, in 2 volumes, both volumes have chapters on complex analysis. Unlike Grey and Bottazzini, Dieudonne was an outstanding mathematician himself, so he better understands the subject and its history. But it also does not cover interaction with physics.
answered Sep 12, 2016 at 18:20