This course guide provides students who are enrolled in MATH308: Historical Development of Mathematical Concepts and Ideas with a starting point for their research assignments. It was developed in collaboration with the instructors of the course. A majority of the books (print or electronic versions) listed in the "Additional References for those choosing this topic for their term paper" section found at the bottom of the weekly lectures page in Canvas appear in the guide. If the book was reviewed by MAA, either in Convergent or MAA Reviews, a link to the review is included in the description section of the book.
There are three possibilities for accessing a book (print or electronic) at the library:
The texts in this guide will help you find good information for MATH308. This guide is by no means comprehensive; rather, it is intended to serve as a starting point for your research and assignments. If you have questions about the guide or would like to request a consultation, please contact William Simpson, the subject librarian for mathematics.
As per the course syllabus, Katz, V. J. (2018). A history of mathematics : an introduction (Third edition.). Pearson, is the recommended text for MATH308. A print copy of the text is available at the Help Center (i.e., the main desk) at the Morris Library. The book has been placed on Reserve for Spring 2025. See Using Reserve Materials for details about using the text.
The texts, below, from Amy Ackerberg-Hastings (MAA Convergence), "HoM Toolbox, or Historiography and Methodology for Mathematicians: Introduction – References," Convergence (December 2022)
Monthly essays on mathematical topics published by AMS columnists.
Image by Scott Carter -- USA Mathematics Faculty Member
Black History Month - This month, Notices of the AMS celebrates 10 decades of Black mathematicians, making contributions to a range of research in the mathematical sciences.