Welcome to Math 295:  History of Mathematics! 

 

Professor:  Amy N. Myers

Email:  anmyers@brynmawr.edu

Office:  Park Sciences 331

Office Hours:  Mondays 2:15 – 4 PM, Wednesdays 2:15 – 3 PM (and usually 3 – 4 PM as well), and Fridays 2:15 – 4 PM

Appointments:  Please email me to set up an appointment outside of office hours.

 

Required Textbook:  A History of Mathematics, by Jeff Suzuki

 

Course Objectives:  Upon successful completion of this course, you will understand how:

á      Mathematical concepts, notation, and rigor have evolved over time.

á      People invent (some say ÒdiscoverÓ) mathematics in an attempt to organize, explain, predict, and explore both the world around them and the nature of mathematics itself.

á      Mathematical concepts are connected to each other by a natural logical flow of ideas.

á      Mathematics has not only a past, but also a present and a future.

á      The work of a math historian is similar to that of a detective.

 

Grading:  Course grades are based on: 

 

Homework:  Before we begin each chapter, I will post a list of study questions relevant to that chapter on the course website.  The answers to some of these questions can be read directly from the textbook, while others require some thought and reflection and / or an appeal to sources other than our textbook.  Just as a professional math historian must consult multiple sources and make educated guesses to piece together a coherent story from the fragmented historical record, so too must you go beyond the textbook to achieve satisfactory responses to certain study questions. 

            During a typical class period we will stop several times to discuss material relevant to study questions.  We will also spend time in class discussing responses to study questions in small groups.  By the time we finish a chapter, you will have had time to consider all of the study questions.  At this time I will select several of the questions at random (by rolling a die) for you to write up nicely and submit for homework.  After the assignment has been announced, I will answer no further questions concerning it.  I want you to ask any questions you may have before I announce the assignment.  I maintain this policy because I want you to be able to answer all the study questions, not just the ones I assign as homework.  I donÕt want to assign all the study questions as homework, because I want you to really focus on nicely writing up just a few.  You should keep a record of your sketched responses to all study questions, and polish those selected for homework.  This way you will learn all the important concepts without being burdened with the process of making all of them coherent to someone else.

 

Sources:  If you need help answering a study question, there are several places to seek additional information.

 

Informal Presentations:  As the semester progresses, and the mathematics discussed in class becomes less familiar, I may ask students to research people and topics in more broad terms.  For example, I might say, ÒCarl Friedrich Gauss is considered by some to be the most influential mathematician of all time.  Why?  Who was he?  What did he contribute to the history of mathematics?Ó  I would then assign these questions to a small group of students, who would each return the following class period with as much comprehensible, interesting, and relevant material as they could find (see the ÒSourcesÓ section above).  During class time they would compile their results, and present their findings to the rest of the class, which would have been divided into groups to respond to other such queries.  Following such a class period, each student should nicely write up her own response to the questions, and submit them to me electronically via email (attach either a .doc or a .pdf file with the responses).  I will grade individual responses as homework, and post responses from one group member on the course website for reference by others in the class. 

 

Grading Criteria for Informal Presentations:

 

Late Work:  Homework assignments submitted before I grade them are eligible for full credit.  Work submitted after I have graded assignments, but before they have been returned, is eligible for half credit.  Work submitted after the assignments have been returned is not eligible for credit.

  

Exams:  Exams consist of study questions not assigned as homework, essay questions posted in advance on the course website, and facts from informal presentations.  Exam dates appear below.

á      Midterm 1:  Friday, October 3

á      Midterm 2:  Friday, November 14

á      Final Exam:  Self-scheduled

 

Letter Grades:  At any point during the semester you may estimate your current letter grade using the following formula:

á      H = (points received on homework and informal presentations) / (total points possible for homework and informal presentations)

á      E = (points received on exams) / (total points possible for exams)

á      P = 50×H + 50×E

 

P

Grade

90 ² P ² 100

A

85 ² P < 90

A–

80 ² P < 85

B+

70 ² P < 80

B

65 ² P < 70

B–

60 ² P < 65

C+

50 ² P < 60

C

45 ² P < 50

C–

 

Study Groups:  Numerous studies have shown that working with others is generally the best way to learn mathematics, and I strongly encourage you to do so.  What you turn in, however, must be your own work written in your own words.

    

Extra Credit:  You can recover lost homework and informal presentation points by attending various math-related events throughout the term.  Such events will be announced on the course website.

 

Accommodations: If you think you may need accommodation in this course because of the impact of a disability, please contact Stephanie Bell, Coordinator of Accessibility Services in Canwyll House at 610 526 7351 or sbell@brynmawr.edu, as soon as possible, to verify your eligibility for reasonable accommodations.  Early contact will help to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and delays.