Fall 2001
Office:
Le307
Office
phone: 524 6838
Home
phone (708) 358 1365
Email:
ziessara@email.dom.edu
Office
Hours: 9.30-11.20 MRF
9.30-10.20 W 2.30-3.20
W
Lectures: MWF 1.30 –2.20
Text: An Introduction to the History of Mathematics by H.Eves,
sixth edition
Chapters studied: 1-10 (more or less)
Prerequisites: Mathematics 230 and
Mathematics 262
Course Objectives
At
the end of this course you should have knowledge of many topics in the
historical development of precalculus mathematics as well as some later topics.
You will also learn about many of the key historical figures. The course will
demonstrate that mathematics is a vibrant contemporary field with open
questions rather than a static and complete body of knowledge. You will gain experience in simple proofs
and the communication of mathematics, both orally and in writing.
Contents
of course:
1.
Readings in the history of
mathematics from the text.
2.
Lectures on the history of
mathematics and special topics in mathematics. Each week there will be
lectures on special topics taken from or connected with the week’s readings.
3.
Historical problems in
mathematics. Homework problems will be assigned on each
chapter studied. We will spend one class every week discussing these problems
and working on them collaboratively. Problems must be handed in on their due
date (which will be announced in class). Homework problems will be graded for
clarity as well as accuracy.
4.
Journal. Every week you will write a
short (maximum 1 page) typed summary of the topics covered in class. You may write
any mathematics by hand if necessary. Then you will take one of these topics
and research it further, summarizing your findings (maximum 1 page). The
journal will also include summaries of all student presentations.
5.
Quizzes. There will be several short
quizzes during the semester.
6.
One short research paper
(3-5 pages).
The topics will be chosen from a list distributed in class. Each student will
also give a short (10 minutes) oral presentation.
7.
One long research paper
(20-25 pages).
This will be on an important personality in mathematics and his/her
mathematics. Each student will also give a longer (20 minutes) oral
presentation.
Details of the requirements
and expectations for each paper will be distributed in class, with the list of
topics.
Course Requirements: The grade will be made up
as follows.
Homework
problems: 20%
Journal:
15%
Short
paper, including presentation: 15%
Long
paper, including presentation: 35%
Quizzes:
5%
Class
participation: 10%
Attendance: Attendance will be taken
at the beginning of each class. Should you be unable to attend I expect you to
call me and explain your absence. Unexplained absences or frequent lateness will affect your grade. More than 6 absences will result in a course
grade of F.
Grading Scale:
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69
D
Below
60 F
I
may curve the grades at the end of the semester if it is to your benefit.
Useful
web pages
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history
(An archive at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. It contains biographies
of more than 1100 mathematicians as well as information organized by topic.)
http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/women.htm
(Information
on women mathematicians)
http://britannica.com
(Encyclopedia Britannica online)
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen
(Catholic Encyclopedia online - for Catholic mathematicians)
http://www.sonoma.edu/Math/faculty/falbo
( A web page containing information on Ada Byron-Lovelace, Carl Friedrich
Gauss, David Hilbert. Sonya Kovalevsy and Emmy Noether.
http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/mathhist/mathhist.html
(A web page maintained by David Joyce of Clark University. It contains a
comprehensive chronology of mathematicians as well as bibliographies organized
by geographical region.
http://www.mathsoft.com/asolve/constant/constant.html
(Information on constants such as pi, e, the golden mean and many other less well known examples.
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/pub/HistMath/HistMath.html
(A web page maintained by D.R.Wilkins at Trinity College Dublin. It contains
material on several mathematicians, including Riemann, Boole, Cantor and
Newton. There are also many links to other websites for the history of
mathematics.)
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/External/Westfall_list.html
(A searchable database at the University of St. Andrews including information
on over 160 mathematicians in the 16th and 17th
centuries.)
Books
in the Crown Library
There
are many books related to the History of Mathematics located in QA21-QA36
(approximately). The following are of particular interest.
Men of Mathematics by E.T.Bell
Women of Mathematics edited by L.Grinstein and
P.Campbell
Great Moments in Mathematics
before 1650 by
H.Eves
Great Moments in Mathematics
after 1650 by
H.Eves
The History of Mathematics-a
reader by J.Fauvel and J.Gray
Mathematics from the Birth
of Numbers by
J.Gullberg
Dictionary of Scientific
Biography (located
at Q141.D5)