The fact that Seki Kowa was known during his own lifetime as the "Arithmetical Sage," a tribute that later graced his tombstone, indicates the magnitude of his genius. He is generally considered to be the founder of the Japanese mathematical tradition known as Wasan. Among his many accomplishments he is best known for being the first person to study determinants and for discovering what came to be known as Bernoulli numbers even before Jacob Bernoulli did. Because there was a tradition of strict secrecy in the Japanese schools of the period (due to competition among them and the constraints of modesty imposed by his noble upbringing), some of Seki's contributions may still be unknown. However, there is no doubt that he was a major factor in the popularization and development of modern mathematics. He is also credited with transforming the discipline from an esoteric art form practiced by...