Simply Riemann

The mathematician who changed the way we understand space, numbers, and geometry.

Bernhard Riemann’s career was short, but his ideas reached far beyond the mathematics of his time. In Simply Riemann, historian of mathematics Jeremy Gray offers an accessible introduction to the life and work of a mathematician whose ideas helped transform geometry, number theory, and the study of space. Gray explains how Riemann challenged the assumption that geometry had to describe a flat, familiar world, opening the way to new kinds of geometry and, eventually, ideas that would become essential to Einstein’s theory of general relativity. He also explores Riemann’s work on prime numbers and the famous Riemann Hypothesis, one of mathematics’ most enduring unsolved problems. Alongside the mathematics, Gray tells the story of Riemann’s brief and remarkable life, his intellectual relationships, and the mathematical world of nineteenth-century Europe. The result is an engaging introduction to a thinker whose ideas continue to influence mathematics and physics.

• An accessible introduction to Bernhard Riemann’s life and mathematical ideas
• Explains Riemann’s revolutionary approach to geometry and curved space
• Explores his work on prime numbers and the famous Riemann Hypothesis
• Shows how Riemannian geometry eventually became central to Einstein’s theory of relativity
• Places Riemann’s achievements within the development of nineteenth-century mathematics

Available in multiple formats:

Paperback — Elegant print edition presenting the complete, unabridged text, and ships in 3–5 business days.
Hardcover — Elegant print edition presenting the complete, unabridged text, and ships in 5–7 business days.
EPUB — DRM-free, compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers. Instant download after purchase.
Audiobook — Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged. Available on Audible, Spotify, Apple Books.

You don’t need to be a mathematician to appreciate Riemann’s achievement. Simply Riemann makes his extraordinary ideas approachable while showing how questions about geometry, numbers, and infinity can lead to discoveries that reshape our understanding of the universe.

About the Author

Jeremy Gray is a historian of mathematics and a professor whose work focuses on the history and philosophy of mathematics, particularly during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He has written extensively about the development of modern mathematics and the mathematicians who shaped it, including Bernhard Riemann. His books include Plato’s Ghost: The Modernist Transformation of Mathematics and Henri Poincaré: A Scientific Biography. Gray is known for placing complex mathematical ideas within their broader historical and intellectual context.