Course Description:
This interdisciplinary course offers an advanced-level introduction to the development of mathematics from antiquity to the present. Moving beyond an outline of the development of mathematical ideas in Europe and its colonies, students will also study mathematical developments in other cultures, including the ancient Mesopotamian, Chinese, Indian and Egyptian civilizations. An emphasis will be placed on the understanding of mathematical developments in broader historical and cultural context. Students will discuss various points of view concerning selected core controversies in mathematics, research and write about the contributions of individuals or cultural groups to the development of mathematics, and solve a variety of mathematical problems of historical interest.
Students will propose a course theme in accordance with their particular interests around which to build their principal research and writing assignments. For example, a student may wish to explore the mathematical contributions of a particular culture in greater depth. A student may also wish to explore the historical development of a particular mathematical field or to research mathematical connections throughout history to another field of their choosing, such as art, music, or the sciences. Students will be encouraged to identify significant mathematical developments, to analyze key ideas, contributors and events that made these possible, and to discuss implications for mathematics in the 21st century.
Prerequisites: This advanced-level study presumes that the student has already achieved upper-level standing with fluency in college reading, writing, research and critical thinking. This study also presumes that the student has excellent knowledge of college level mathematics through Pre-calculus. There is also an introductory version of this course, in which students who may not yet be prepared for advanced-level studies are encouraged to enroll.
Important Note: Students should not include History of Mathematics twice in their degree program. This course can only be taken once, either at the lower-level or at the upper-level.
This course fully meets the General Education requirement for Mathematics and Other World Civilizations.
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