EAN 9780988744981

In each period of Irish history, mathematical equations represented not only solutions to technical problems, they also represented a vision of what Ireland could and should be. Mathematicians are not typically thought of as playing an important role in building a nation, but it turns out that mathematics---no less than poetry, drama, and music---has also been a medium for imagining and creating Ireland. In the seventeenth century, William Petty's mathematics (backed by the force of Cromwell's army) was essential to transferring the vast majority of land from Catholics to Protestants.