1

Useful Web Links on History of

Mathematical Sciencesdagger

by

MAN MOHAN

Dept of Mathematics amp Statistics Ramjas College University of Delhi Delhi 110007 India

E-mail manmohanindianshmcom

The Internet is a wonderful place to explore the vast amount of information that it makes

available around the world but without borders and often confusing the explorer Even well prepared surfers stumble aimlessly through cyberspace using hit-or-miss methods in search of useful information with few results little substance and lots of frustration The purpose of this article is to encourage and facilitate the teaching and learning of history of mathematics at all levels using the Web Some of the most useful resources on the history of mathematics are identified described and hyperlinked The resources are divided into eleven sections While some websites may fall in more than one section each website appears in what seemed to be the most relevant section

INTRODUCTION

The Internet is a wonderful place to explore the vast amount of information that it makes

available around the world but without borders and often confusing the explorer Even

well prepared surfers stumble aimlessly through cyberspace using hit-or-miss methods in

search of useful information with few results little substance and lots of frustration The

purpose of this article is to encourage and facilitate the teaching and learning of history of

mathematics at all levels using the Web Some of the most useful resources on the

history of mathematics are identified described and hyperlinked The resources are

divided into twelve sections While some websites may fall in more than one section each website appears in what seemed to be the most relevant section

The section lsquoGateway Pagesrsquo includes some of the best known general websites on history

of mathematical sciences providing historical accounts by regions of the world timelines

a chronology an index of files etc An extensive list of resources including links to stand-

alone sites containing material on a single topic is provided in the section lsquoUseful Web

Resourcesrsquo A few of the many wonderful websites that provide biographies of

mathematicians are identified and describes in the section lsquoGeneral and Individual

Biographiesrsquo Some websites devoted to individuals like Sir Isaac Newton Archimedes

and Paul Erdoumls etc are also listed The section lsquoRegional Mathematicsrsquo provides a short list

of websites that give a variety of material on the development of mathematical sciences in

specific regions of the globe The section lsquoHistory of Vedic Mathematicsrsquo describes some

websites that offer interesting literature on the development of Vedic Mathematics the ancient system of mathematics of the Vedas

Some other sections are lsquoOn-line Books and Journalsrsquo that lists sites providing on-line

availability of the contents of some books and journals lsquoBibliographic Resourcesrsquo which

contains sites giving lists of published books andor articles relevant to history of

mathematics in an educational context lsquoSocieties for Mathematics Historyrsquo which includes

dagger Talk given at the National Seminar on History of Mathematical Sciences amp Applicable Mathematics held

at Gurugula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya Hardwar on March 7-9 2003 and at the EMC Mathematics

Academic Camp for Teachers held at Delhi Public School Vasant Kunj New Delhi on May 30 2003

2

home pages of three well known societies that promote history of mathematical sciences

lsquoLinks on History of Computingrsquo which lists sites related to the development of computers

and computing Using history in mathematics classes helps to increase motivation for

learning The section lsquoHistory in Educationrsquo includes websites that promote the use of

history in mathematics classes websites that provide examples where this concept has

been applied and websites that post bibliographies and additional links that allow for

extended research Finally the section lsquoMiscellaneous Resourcesrsquo contains a few websites

that may be helpful or interesting to visit but which do not fall naturally into any of the above sections

GATEWAY PAGES

All general sites have a gateway page that indicates the type of resources that are

available on other pages of the site The gateways to some of the best-known general

sites on history of mathematical sciences are given below

David Joycersquos History of Mathematics Archive

aleph0clarku edu~djoycemathhistmathhisthtml

Maintained at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science of Clark University

this site features a look at the history of mathematics Find historical accounts by regions

of the world timelines a chronology an index of files and a list of books journals

bibliography and other resources This is the starting point to a wealth of resources

provided by David Joyce of Clark University USA There are pages on subjects history of

mathematics texts etc as well as an excellent list of clearly categorized Web Resources

The Math Forum Resource Collection

httpmathforumorglibrarytopicshistory

Part of the The Math Forum an on-line mathematics education community centre this site

provides an extensive list of annotated links to other sites These sites are arranged

alphabetically and the collection can be viewed in outline or annotated form There is a

well-designed search engine that allows for a variety of searches like keywords

categories and dates

MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive

www-groupsdcsst-and rewsacuk~history

The MacTutor History of Mathematics archive is the prominent site on the WWW for

information on the history of mathematics It probably contains as much information as all

the rest combined It has 1300 biographies 60 famous curves 30 history topics

chronologies birthplace maps and posters Maintained by John O Conner at the University

of St Andrews in Scotland the offers search forms suggestions and historical and

biographical information It provides a variety of resources on the developments of various

branches of mathematics and includes an interactive famous curves index pages on

mathematical societies etc

Trinity College Mathematics History Archive

httpwwwmathstcdiepubHistMathHistMathhtml

Created and maintained by David Wilkins of Trinity College Dublin this site includes

biographies of some seventeenth and eighteenth century mathematicians sufficient

material on Berkeley Newton Hamilton Boole Riemann and Cantor and an extensive

directory of history of mathematics websites

USEFUL WEB RESOURCES

BSHM Resources

2

home pages of three well known societies that promote history of mathematical sciences

lsquoLinks on History of Computingrsquo which lists sites related to the development of computers

and computing Using history in mathematics classes helps to increase motivation for

learning The section lsquoHistory in Educationrsquo includes websites that promote the use of

history in mathematics classes websites that provide examples where this concept has

been applied and websites that post bibliographies and additional links that allow for

extended research Finally the section lsquoMiscellaneous Resourcesrsquo contains a few websites

that may be helpful or interesting to visit but which do not fall naturally into any of the above sections

GATEWAY PAGES

All general sites have a gateway page that indicates the type of resources that are

available on other pages of the site The gateways to some of the best-known general

sites on history of mathematical sciences are given below

David Joycersquos History of Mathematics Archive

aleph0clarku edu~djoycemathhistmathhisthtml

Maintained at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science of Clark University

this site features a look at the history of mathematics Find historical accounts by regions

of the world timelines a chronology an index of files and a list of books journals

bibliography and other resources This is the starting point to a wealth of resources

provided by David Joyce of Clark University USA There are pages on subjects history of

mathematics texts etc as well as an excellent list of clearly categorized Web Resources

The Math Forum Resource Collection

httpmathforumorglibrarytopicshistory

Part of the The Math Forum an on-line mathematics education community centre this site

provides an extensive list of annotated links to other sites These sites are arranged

alphabetically and the collection can be viewed in outline or annotated form There is a

well-designed search engine that allows for a variety of searches like keywords

categories and dates

MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive

www-groupsdcsst-and rewsacuk~history

The MacTutor History of Mathematics archive is the prominent site on the WWW for

information on the history of mathematics It probably contains as much information as all

the rest combined It has 1300 biographies 60 famous curves 30 history topics

chronologies birthplace maps and posters Maintained by John O Conner at the University

of St Andrews in Scotland the offers search forms suggestions and historical and

biographical information It provides a variety of resources on the developments of various

branches of mathematics and includes an interactive famous curves index pages on

mathematical societies etc

Trinity College Mathematics History Archive

httpwwwmathstcdiepubHistMathHistMathhtml

Created and maintained by David Wilkins of Trinity College Dublin this site includes

biographies of some seventeenth and eighteenth century mathematicians sufficient

material on Berkeley Newton Hamilton Boole Riemann and Cantor and an extensive

directory of history of mathematics websites

USEFUL WEB RESOURCES

BSHM Resources

3

wwwdcswarwickacukbshmresourceshtml

Here is a well-organized collection of links to Web Sites on the History of Mathematics

The resources include David Calviss History of Mathematics Web Sites

Joyces History of Mathematics Web Resources

httpaleph0clarkuedu~djoycemathhistwebresourceshtml

This is a well categorized and annotated list of resources Hypermedia exhibits are listed

separately and there are also links to history of science pages The emphasis is more

towards larger sites containing sequences of internal links rather than stand-alone sites

containing material on a single topic or person

Mathematical Quotations Server

mathfurmanedu~mwoodard mquothtml

From South Carolinas Furman University this site offers visitors quotations about math

Features include a keyword search engine and links to the sponsoring university

Calviss History of Mathematics Web Sites

httpwww2bwedu~dcalvishistoryhtml

A well-annotated list of about twenty-five sites put together by David Calvis of Baldwin-

Wallace College Ohio Specialised sites are listed in order of earliest date covered

MacTutor History of Mathematics Links to external pages

httpwww-historymcsst-andacukhistoryExternalexternal_linkshtml

The site contains an annotated but unordered list of twenty-six sites related to history of

mathematical sciences including most of the major ones

The Mathematical Museum - History Wing

httpelibzib-berlinde88Math-NetLinksmathe-museumhisthtml

The History wing of The Mathematical Museum is part of the Math-Net Links to the

Mathematical World It contains links to exhibitions on-line books information systems

museums and pages of interest for the history of mathematics history of computing and

communication and associated fields along with related history It also includes some

sample illustrations

Trinity College Mathematics History archive

httpwwwmathstcdiepubHistMathLinkshtml

The site contains an extremely well organized and extensive list of Web resources The

sites are categorized and include many of the best sites currently accessible If you know

of a good site but do not have the address there is a reasonable chance that you will find

it here

MathWeb History

wwwamsorgmathwebmi-mathhisthtml

The site provides Links to CSHPM Services Links to Sites Related to the History and

Philosophy of Mathematics and a page of links to other related sites

History of Mathematics Resources

mathhaifaacilmath-historyhtml

Maintained by the Dept of mathematics at University of Haifa Israel the site provides

links to 39 resources The list includes AMS history of mathematics sites Arabic

mathematics Biographies of women mathematicians A brief history of algebra and

computing BSHM list of web sites on the history of mathematics Calculating machines

Egyptian mathematics Greek mathematics and its heirs History and pedagogy of

mathematics etc

History of Mathematics Sites Math I

4

httphomeeuropacom~paulgmathI_mathistshtml

Many sites have math history links but this seems to be the grand daddy of them all Any

topic or person of any time or region can be searched here It contains a section on

women mathematicians also as well as links to other math history sites It is worthwhile

to visit for anything concerning history of mathematical sciences

Encyclopaeligdia Britannica

wwwbritannicacomebarticle

Encyclopaeligdia Britannica is the Nets finest encyclopedia Britannicas editors have

developed a user-friendly citation style for citing electronic publications eg

ldquomathematics history of For each topic it has an exhaustive table of contents complete

index entries and citation information to simplify your research Britannica cant be beat

for researching famous (and not-so-famous) people places and things although

complete articles are not available for free

GENERAL AND INDIVIDUAL BIOGRAPHIES

A wide variety of material is available on the Web concerned with lives of mathematicians

There are sites devoted to certain groups eg mathematicians of a particular period

andor place and sites that are extensive compendiums of biography There are also sites

devoted to lsquoindividualsrsquo like The Sir Isaac Newton Home Page and The Alan Turing Home

Page which generally contain material about the individual and have good links to other

relevant sites

St Andrews Archive

httpwww-historymcsst-andacukhistoryBiogIndexhtml

Here is a collection of more than 1000 biographies of mathematicians illustrated

referenced and indexed both alphabetically and chronologically There are also birthplace

maps as well as a separate index of female mathematicians It is the best place to start

for basic biographical information

Alphabetical Index of Mathematicians

www-groupsdcsst-andacuk~historyAlphabeticalhtml

This site provides an alphabetical index of mathematicians with links to their detailed

biographies A chronological index a short biographies index and a history topics index

are also available

Hall of Great Mathematicians

httpwwwsiueedu~dcollinmathfamehtml

The page is maintained by David Collins Jr at Southern Illinois University Here one finds

an alphabetical list of mathematicians with short biographies

Women Mathematicians

wwwscottlanedulrid dlewomenwomenhtm

The Agnes Scott College Mathematics Department hosts this collection of biographies of

women mathematicians Browse the biographies by alphabetical or chronological order

read the photo credits or link to related resources on the Web

Mathematicians of the 17th and 18th Centuries

httpwwwmathstcdiepubHistMathPeopleRBallHisthtml

Here is a collection of biographies of the 17th and 18th century mathematicians adapted

from WW Rouse Ballrsquos A Short Account of the History of Mathematics

Some Famous Mathematicians

5

httpeulerciensucvveEnglishmathematics

Hosted by Alexander Velasquez at the Central University of Venezuela the page provides

information on about 20 famous mathematicians

Portraits of Statisticians

httpwwwyorkacukdeptsmathshiststatpeople

This site gives a nice collection of portraits of approximately two hundred statisticians

including several mathematicians who dabbled in statistical work ranging from the 15th

century to the present day compiled by Peter Lee of York University However the site

does not include any text but the sources together with some biographical references are

included

Archimedes

httpwwwmcsdrexeledu~crorresArchimedescontentshtml

This site has a rich collection of Archimedean miscellanea produced by Chris Rorres of

Drexel University Philadelphia including a pages on different aspects of Archimedes

mathematics books on Archimedes information on Syracuse and links to other related

sites eg a bibliography of Archimedean literature

History of Mathematics Mathematicians

httpwwwmathsfucahistmath

It has a limited number of pages on mathematicians from Europe China India and

Egypt It also includes a section on special topics Len Berggren at Simon Fraser University

in Burnaby Canada hosts it

Paul Erdoumls

httpwwwpaulerdoscom

This site is created and maintained by Paul Hoffman the author of the book The Man Who

Loved Only Numbers The Story of Paul Erdoumls and the Search for Mathematical Truth The

book is a work of oral history based on the recollections of Erdoumls his numerous

collaborators and their spouses

Fibonacci (Leonardo of Pisa)

httpwwwmcssurreyacukPersonalRKnottFibonaccifibBiohtml

The work of Ron Knott of the University of Surrey this site contains a biographical sketch

of Fibonacci his life times and mathematical achievements There are also pages on the

golden ratio and methods for computing pi using the Fibonacci numbers

Newtonorguk

httpwwwnewtonorguk

Created by Andrew McNab of Manchester University this site provides a wide-ranging

collection of material about Newton as well as information about places and people

significant to him It includes a nice detailed explanation About Newtonia of the genesis

of the site There are good links to other Newton resources

Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences

wwwnewtoncamacuk

A national institute located at Great Britains Cambridge University the Isaac Newton

Institute for Mathematical Sciences offers this overview of its history ongoing scientific

work and services

REGIONAL MATHEMATICS

6

Many of the gateway pages notably David Joyces site and the Mac Tutor site listed in

Section 1 include good regional pages The following is a short list of some smaller sites

that give a variety of material on specific regions

Mathematicians of the African Diaspora

httpwwwmathbuffaloedumadmad0html

Created and maintained by Scott Williams of the State University of New York at Buffalo

this site exhibits the accomplishments of the people of Africa and Africa Diaspora within

the mathematical sciences The history pages include the mathematics of Ancient Egypt

Pre-Colonial Nigeria and Swaziland (the Lemombo Bone) There are good links to other

related sites

Egyptian Mathematics Problems

httpeyelidukonlinecoukancientmaths1htm and maths2htm and maths3htm

Here one finds some basic mathematical problems for high school pupils produced by

artist Mark Millimore as part of his extensively illustrated Ancient Egypt site

Egyptian Fractions

httpwwwicsuciedu~eppsteinnumthegypt

Here is an investigation into Egyptian fractions using Mathematica Several annotated links

to other sites of interest on Egyptian mathematics

Ancient Indias Contribution to Mathematics

httpindiacoolatlantacomGreatPagessudheermathshtml

The site provides a broad outline of the achievements of Indian mathematicians between

1000BC and 1000AD extracted from Birodkar Sudheers book Indias Contribution to

World Culture

Japanese Mathematics

httpwwwtcp-iporjp~homhistoryofmathreviewhmreviewhtml

The site contains a list of articles on the history of Japanese mathematics written in a

European language It is the work of Ogawa Tsukane

History of Mathematics China

aleph0clarkued u~djoycemathhistchinahtml

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Clark University in Worcester

Mass maintains this site to outline the history of mathematics in China Visit here to view

a chronology of Chinese math studies read profiles of noted mathematicians and link to

other Chinese historic and cultural resources

History of Mathematics Home Page

httpaleph0clarkuedu~djoycemathhistmathhisthtml

Maintained by David Joyce at Clark University provides valuable information on

mathematicians arranged chronologically and by the following regions Europe Greece

Japan China Arab Sphere India Egypt and Babylonia It also contains data by subjects

and timelines

Mathematics in Latvia

httpwwwmathcornelledu~dtaiminamathinlvhtml

This site gives a draft of an informative paper by Ingrida Henina and Daina Taimina on

the history of mathematics in Latvia

HISTORY OF VEDIC MATHEMATICS

7

Rediscovered between 1911 and 1918 by Sri Bharati Krsna Tirthaji this is the ancient

system of mathematics of the Vedas According to him all of mathematics is based on

sixteen Sutras or word-formulae The following sites offer interesting literature on the

subject

What is Vedic Mathematics

httpwwwvedicmathsorgukmenu_filesWhatisVMhtm

Development History of Vedic Mathematics httpwwwvedicmathsorgukgroup_fileshistory20VMhistory20VMhtm

Vedic Maths Tutorials httpwwwvedicmathsorgukgroup_filestutorialTutorial20menushtm

The Magic of Vedic Maths - Whats This

httphinduismaboutcomlibraryweeklyaa062901bhtm

This is an all-in-one site to know about Vedic Mathematics and Bharati Krishna Tirthaji

who delved into the ancient Vedic texts and established the techniques of this system in

his pioneering work mdash Vedic Mathematics (1965) which is considered the starting point

for all work on Vedic math

Math can be fun

wwwblonnetcombusinesslineew 20010919stories0219b15bhtm

Visit this site to learn how to use Vedic Mathematics The concept of Vedic mathematics is

explained more than makes up There are separate drop-down links to what the subject is

all about its history and tutorialhellip

ON-LINE BOOKS AND JOURNALS

Cornell University Library Math Book Collection

httpmoacitcornelledudienst-datacdl-math-browsehtml

This collection consists of 571 books that have been scanned from originals held by Cornell

University Library It is indexed by author and by title although without the date of the

edition Since all books were dismounted and all pages scanned (even the blank ones)

the reproduction quality is extremely good

Rouse Balls History of Mathematics

httpwwwmathstcdiepubHistMathPeopleRBallHisthtml

Excerpts from Rouse Balls well know book A Short Account of the History of Mathematics

(4th edition 1908)

Euclids Elements

httpaleph0clarkuedu~djoycejavaelementstochtml

The site gives an interactive version of Euclids Elements with historical and mathematical

comments produced by David Joyce With a Java enabled browser it is possible to

dynamically change the diagrams The site makes the Elements accessible in a completely

new way

Historia Mathematica Homepage

wwwchassutorontocahm

Founded in 1974 Historia Mathematica is the official journal of the International

Commission on the History of Mathematics It publishes research articles in all areas of

8

history of mathematics book reviews abstracts of recently published books and articles

and miscellaneous items of interest to historians of mathematics The site contains

information about the Journal a table of contents of all volumes a list of journals in

related fields and links to other sites

BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES

The following sites contain lists of published books andor articles which are relevant to using history of mathematics in an educational context

Teaching History of Mathematics

httpwwwdeanusmaedumathpeoplerickeyhmminidefaulthtml

It contains a list of published papers which discuss the teaching of history of mathematics

courses

Textbooks for a History of Mathematics Course

httpwwwdeanusmaedumathpeoplerickeyhmminibookshtml

You will here a list of possible textbooks for a history of mathematics course These are

books mostly suitable for teaching an undergraduate course but they also provide good

background reading for anyone with a general interest in the history of mathematics

BSHM Abstracts

httpwwwdcswarwickacukbshmabshtml

This site contains brief abstracts sorted alphabetically by author of papers published in

journals and books A separate section covers abstracts of papers on the uses of history of

mathematics in education history of mathematics courses and the history of

mathematics education

Texts on the History of Mathematics

httpaleph0clarkuedu~djoycemathhisttextbookshtml

Here one finds a list of texts including textbooks and similar general references There is

no annotation so only useful if you know the name of a source and need further details

Non-Euclidean Geometries

wwwcut-the-knotorgtrianglepythparNonEuclidhtml

Discovery of non-Euclidean geometries had a profound impact on the development of

mathematics in the 19th and 20th centuries The site provides links to the references that

give a good account of development that took place before and after the discovery It

includes links on the Fifth Postulate Drama of the Discovery Some of the listed resources

are T Heath Euclids Elements D Hilbert Foundations of Geometry JFauvel and JGray

edThe History of Mathematics MKac and SUlam Mathematics and Logic etc

SOCIETIES FOR MATHEMATICS HISTORY

The Indian Society for History of Mathematics

httpwwwindianshmcom

The site was launched in 2003 It includes latest news concerning history of mathematical

sciences information on forthcoming conferences reports of recently held ISHM

conferences membership details contents pages of all volumes of Ganita Bharati and

some selected articles in the field The site provides a platform to exchange views on

anything concerning mathematics history It also provides links to other important sites in

the area

9

The British Society for the History of Mathematics

httpwwwdcswarwickacukbshm

The site includes membership details BSHM abstracts an archive containing a list of talks

given to the Society and a page of links to other sites The site contains some 50 pages

compiled by prominent British academics at the Open University UK working in the

history of mathematics

The Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Mathematics

httpwwwcshpmorg

This is the Home Page of The Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of

Mathematics which manages Links to CSHPM Services Links to Sites Related to the

History and Philosophy of Mathematics This site includes membership details free access

to the History and Pedagogy of Mathematics Newsletter two official journals Historia

Mathematica and Philosophia Mathematica and a page of links to other sites

The Kurt Goumldel Society

httpwwwlogicatkgshomehtml

Founded in 1987 the Kurt Goumldel Society is an international organization for the promotion

of research in the areas of Logic Philosophy History of Mathematics the biography of

Kurt Goumldel and in other areas to which Goumldel made contributions especially

mathematics physics theology philosophy etc A Setzer of Uppsala university has

provided a list of research groups for mathematical logic philosophical logic and

theoretical computer science on the WWW which contains links to related topics as well

LINKS ON HISTORY OF COMPUTING

Charles Babbages Analytical Engine

httpwwwfourmilabchbabbagecontentshtml

The site exhibits texts of historical documents including Menebreas description of the

Engine translated by Ada Lovelace and a detailed description of an Analytical Engine

emulator

History of Computing Information

http ftparlmil~mikecomphist

Assembled by Mike Muuss this site gives information about the history of computing with

a focusing on the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) the worlds first

electronic digital computer The purpose of this Archive is to help the public remember

that it was the U S Army which initiated the computer revolution by building ENIAC

during World War II giving birth to a technology which would change the world There are

14 links giving information stories and photographs of the early days of the machine The

site also provides links to 37 other web sites related to the history of computers and

computing including the origins and development of the Internet

The Virtual Museum of computing

httpvmocmuseophilecom

Developed and maintained by J Bowen of South Bank University this site is an extensive

collection of links to sites connected with the history of computing and computer-based

exhibits It is divided into galleries covering a variety of topics

10

HISTORY IN EDUCATION

Using History in Math Class

httpwwwmathilstuedu~marshall

The purpose of this site is to encourage and facilitate the use of the history of

mathematics in the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels Gerald L Marshall

created it as a PhD project Here some of the most useful resources on the history of

mathematics that provide assistance for the inclusion of history in the mathematics

classroom are identified described and hyperlinked The resources are divided into five

broad categories The category lsquoInstructionalrsquo includes sites that promote the use of

history in mathematics classes those providing examples where the concept has been

applied and those which post bibliographies A teacher can find samples of classroom

proved projects here The category lsquoTopicalrsquo includes sites that develop mathematical

subjects historical topics and famous curves An instructor can provide historical

introductions to concepts that are new to their pupils The category lsquoBiographicalrsquo identifies

and describes only a few of the many wonderful sites that provide biographies of

mathematicians An instructor can quickly find anecdotes on notable mathematicians to

share Likewise the category lsquoInformationalrsquo contains locations with abstracts informal

notes and on-line discussions and courses A teacher should encourage the creation of

posters and papers that have an historical theme

Fred Rickeys Home Page

httpwwwdeanusmaedumathpeoplerickeyhmdefaulthtm

Home Page of Fred Rickey of Bowling Green University USA one of the leading

proponents of using history in mathematics education The site contains annotated links to

wide variety of resources including a description of his history of mathematics course

Syllabus History of Mathematics

wwwmathutahedu~carlsonhistory2001Syllabuspdf

The site gives the syllabus for a history of mathematics class and its instructional plan by

Instructor Jim Carlson The outline follows the major headings of Calingers book Classics

of Mathematics and spans a 3500 year period from about 1750 BC to 1750 AD The aim

of the course is to gain an understanding of how mathematical ideas have developed over

time how social cultural and historical factors influenced the development of

mathematics and conversely how mathematics contributed to society and human

culture leading eventually to a scientific view of nature

History of Mathematics with Original Sources

httpwwwmaiupedu~gstoudthistoryma350sources_homehtml

The site which is the work of Gary Stoudt of Indiana University of Pennsylvania contains

a reading list and a collection of discussion questions and homework problems together

with some images of famous works It is good collection of materials for using original

sources in a history of mathematics class

Teaching with Original Historical Sources in Mathematics

httpmathnmsuedu~history

Managed by David Pengelley at New Mexico State University this page offers experiences

and materials from using original historical sources in teaching mathematics It contains

articles on and about history of mathematics and its role in teaching

Mathematical Connections

httpwwwaugedudvskelwelcomehtml

An on-line publication on the history and philosophy of mathematics it presents

applications of history of mathematics in the classroom Keith Luoma at Augusta State

University manages it

11

MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES

We list below a few sites that may be helpful or interesting to visit but which do not fall naturally into any of the above categories

Welcome to a Mathematical Journey through Time

httpnunicnuedu~frosamonhistorymathhtml

Maintained by Frances Rosamond at the National University this site provides an

interactive timeline from 3000 BC to the present and beyond

Earliest Uses of Various Mathematical Symbols

httpmembersaolcomjeff570mathsymhtml

Some Earliest Known Uses of Mathematics Words

httpmembersaolcomjeff570mathwordhtml

Product of multiple contributors the above two identify the names of individuals who first

used various common mathematical symbols or words and the dates the symbolswords

were first used The site is maintained by Jeff Miller of Gulf High School Florida and

welcomes any further contributions

Images of Mathematicians on Postage Stamps

httpmemberstripodcomjeff560indexhtml

Another site maintained by Jeff Miller It contains images of postage stamps featuring

mathematicians and mathematics as well as links to other sites concerning mathematical

stamps

Famous Problems in the History of Mathematics

wwwlearnmotioncomlimlinksmatlinksfamousProbshtm

This site presents a portion of the history of mathematics by investigating some of the

great problems that have inspired mathematicians throughout the ages The problems

included are suitable for middle school and high school students with links to solutions as

well as links to mathematicians biographies and other math history sites

Mathematics Archives ndashTopics in Modern Mathematics

httparchivesmathutkedutopicshistoryhtml

Supported by Earl Fife at the University of Tennessee the site provides links to important

recourses on History Reports Articles Books Journals Preprints Web Sites and

Databases etc It covers all topics of modern mathematical sciences Links to various

resources are organized by topics Two additional features make this site a useful

database use of additional keywords to describe a site and use of icons to quickly show

the level of mathematical background to read the materials on the site and the type of

materials available on the site

Hilberts 23 Unsolved Problems

httpwwwandrewsedu~calkinsmathwebtextstoptextstophilprhtm

In 1900 David Hilbert addressed the International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris In

his address he outlined 23 major mathematical problems that would be studied in the

next century The address was not only a collection of problems it was also his philosophy

of mathematics and problems important to that philosophy This site gives in a tabular

form the statement present status and the reactioncontribution of various

mathematicians who have solved or have been attempting to prove or disprove these

problems

Fermats Last Theorem

httpwwwpbsorgwgbhnovaproof

12

It contains several links including one to the The Mathematics of Fermats Last Theorem a

hypertext site created by Charles Daney which provides an overview of some of the

mathematics that has either been developed over the years to try to solve the problem

(directly or indirectly) or else which has been found to be relevant

The History of Algebra

Teacherexchangemdek12msusteachnett history-of-algebrahtm

Created and maintained by DiAnn Sones this web-quest site provides important links for

learning about the origin and meaning of the word algebra and about who developed

algebraic concepts With available links it takes you on a journey through time and the

history of mathematics to discover the answers to these questions and allows you to

create a time-line to show how the mathematician and the mathematical developments fit

into history

The Collected Works of Mathematicians Index

httpwwwmathcornelledu~librarycollectedwkshtml

Compiled and maintained by Steven Rockey of Cornell University the site provides an

extensive bibliography of collected works and correspondence of mathematicians The

items are assessed by authorrsquos name on the Index page

The Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy

httpwwwutmeduresearchiep

It is a general site on philosophy which includes articles on the philosophy of amongst

others Aristotle Descartes and Poincareacute

Math and Mathematicians

wwwmccscedu~sschoolemathematicianshtml

Maintained by Jackson Creek Middle School this site includes information about six

specific mathematicians and also links to other sites categorized into four groups Women

Mathematicians Mathematicians Links and Photos and General Biographical Information

Contributions of Different Cultures to the Development of

wwwgslisutexasedu~vlibraryedres pathfindersakermanbibhtml

Maintained by Calvis this page gives an annotated list of nearly 50 sites pertaining to

mathematics in different cultures and the history of mathematics in general

Mathematics History Internet Sites

www3anokak12mnuscurriculinksmathhistoryhtm

This site gives a list of Links to 12 History of Mathematics resources It includes History of

numerals and counting algebra geometry arithmetic and number theory mathematical

analysis probability and statistics