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Catalog Description: |
Development of mathematical thought from beginning to present.
Contributions from ancient Egypt, Babylonia, and Greece; from
China, India, and the Arab world; as well as from medieval and
modern Western civilization. (Offered spring semester, even years.)
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| Prerequisites: |
MATH 211 Calculus III
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Required Course Materials: |
Victor J. Katz, A History of Mathematics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, Addisoon-Wesley, 2009.
Other references from internet and Murray Library
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Course Coordinator: |
Lamarr C. Widmer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics
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Course Audience: |
Juniors and seniors majoring in Mathematics
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Course Objectives: |
- This course provides an overview of the history of mathematics
from earliest human mathematical activities to the present state
of the discipline.
- We intend to consider both technical and human sides of the
subject and to provide each student with an in-depth, individual
look at one particular historical, mathematical topic.
- You will improve your ability to solve mathematical
problems, both as individuals and in teams.
- You will be able to situate mathematics in its
cultural setting.
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Topics: |
- Egyptian, Babylonian and Greek mathematics
- The awakening: Fibonacci
- Cardan, Tartaglia, Isaac Newton, Leibniz, Descartes
- Probability Theory
- Number Theory: Fermat, Euler, Gauss
- Non-Euclidean Geometry: Bolyai and Lobachevsky
- Set Theory: Cantor and Kronecker
- Twentieth Century mathematicians and their contributions
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