Name, Syllabus, Today S Plan;

Introduction

Course presentation

- Name, syllabus, today’s plan;

- Plan:

1) Present resources; objectives (direct/indirect benefits)

- Textbook, class discussions, website (including Web board & Math-Help)

2) How the course is organized:

- Syllabus

- Emphasis on stories & comparison with modern mathematics

3) Questionnaire / background test;

- Class format (2 parts):

1st hour: discuss the textbook (transparency & outlines ready!)

- The math event: Who/where did what, when & why

- Research and publication process (minimal)

- A story a day (his/her story) to tell your students

- Type of math (art/science) and relevance to other areas or other sciences

- Compare with today’s level of sophistication

BREAK 10min.

- 2nd hour: math complements & meta mathematics

- What to prepare before class:

- Reading notes or outlines for the assigned section (In advance!)

- One favorite character/topic to talk about in class (2-3 min. participation)

- One favorite story to remember (and tell your students).

Other Ideas & Topics for Discussion

- Math: “Art or Science” (not an exclusive OR )

- Art: e.g. 2^2^n+1; “What if …” (e.g. from Pythagoras to Fermat: change 2 into 3 etc.)

- Curiosity fueled the development of mathematics (although killed the cat).

- Science: designing new (mathematical) models;

- Sometimes the needed math was there …

- Nice math problems we could always solve, and … needed problems we can’t solve (unfortunately; e.g. some elliptic integrals from physics etc.)

- The “driving force” for math progress: if “No can do!” then “we’ll make it work” (generalizations and completions; e.g. number systems Z, Q, R, C etc.)

- Details versus ideas (Sometimes: “learn the ideas, never mind the details”)

Mat320: “History of Mathematics: Past-1600”

Resources and Organisation

Instructor: Lucian Ionescu

- Office hours: TBA and by appointment (438-7167, )

- Web site: \

Text: A history of mathematics: an introduction, V. Katz, 2nd ed.

Objectives:

- To understand how mathematics evolved and to learn about the forefront figures responsible for this.

- To inform you about various areas of mathematics and the relationship with other sciences.

Prerequisites: - )
Syllabus

1) Course format

- Read sections before class;

- 1st part: discussion of main figures & contributions

- 2nd part: complements & meta-mathematic 

2) Homework & Projects

3) Evaluation

What is “Mathematics”?

Project/Essay: “Mathematics: Art or Science?”

Focusing on Applications (science)

- Mathematics for “heavens or earth” (celestial & geo)

- Math for war and government, trades etc.

and on mathematics for fun (art)

- Doubling the cube, trisecting an angle (challenges)