In this Very Short Introduction, Jacqueline Stedall explores the rich historical and cultural diversity of mathematical endeavour from the distant past to the present day, using illustrative case studies drawn from a range of times and places; including early imperial China, the medieval Islamic world, and nineteenth-century Britain--

"A car crashes in front of rookie PI Paige Holden's home. And suddenly, she finds one of her pro bono clients dying in her arms-from a gunshot wound. With her last breath, the woman whispers cryptic words into her ear and hands her a blood-smeared flash drive. Five years ago, State's Attorney Grayson Smith put a murderer behind bars. But when Paige Holden shares the flash drive with him, its contents cast doubts on the conviction-and lead him and Paige into a world of blackmail, dark secrets, and a decades-long string of murders. An investigation they'll survive only by trusting each other-and the truth."--P. [4] of cover.