Any students with disabilities or other special needs, who need special accommodations in this course, are invited to share these concerns or requests with the instructor as soon as possible.



Instructor:
Bill Martin, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Rm. 304B Minard, NDSU
E-mail: William_Martin@ndsu.nodak.edu
Phone: 231-8480
Office hours: 9:30-10:30 Tuesday, 9-10 Wednesday and Friday (or by appointment)

Text: The History of Mathematics: An Introduction (4th Edition) by David M. Burton (1999)



Objectives:

In order to understand mathematics, it is important to be familiar with its growth and evolution. This development has been influenced by the cultural, economic, political, and philosophical conditions in which mathematicians lived and worked. Despite these influences, mathematics also transcends specific social and cultural settings. The purpose of this course is to help students develop their own historical perspectives on the development of mathematics so that they gain increased understanding of how mathematics has come to play such a prominent role in our lives. The course will focus on historical considerations emphasizing the source of mathematical ideas, the growth of mathematical knowledge, and the contributions of outstanding mathematicians.

Evaluation:

Grades in the course will reflect students' demonstrated attainment of course objectives. The nature of the material requires significant amounts of writing and reading in comparison to other undergraduate mathematics courses. This is reflected in the grading.

Expectations:

Class attendance is expected and will be noted; active participation in class is essential for success. Some graded work will be completed during class time. There will be no makeups for missed quizzes and homework. Makeup tests will only be given in the most exceptional circumstances (such as medical emergencies) and require prior approval of the instructor (unless impossible, in which case written excuses may be required). Even when approved, late work may not be graded until after the end of the semester, which could result in an "incomplete" grade for the course. Makeup tests tend to be more difficult, though this is not a deliberate policy. Students who are not regularly attending classes cannot expect special consideration in relation to their grades. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in severe sanctions, such as failure of the course.

Group work:

Research shows that working together cooperatively enhances learning and retention. Groups, to be formed during the first two weeks, will work together on homework, special assignments, and take-home portions of tests during the semester. Significant time will be spent in class working in cooperative groups.


Tentative Class, Assignment and Test Schedule

Note: There is far more material in this text than can be covered during a single semester. We will not be covering all the material in every section listed on this syllabus-the sections are listed to give an idea of where the selected material will come from each week.

Ch 1-2 Early Mathematics

August 30-September 1 Preliminaries, sections 1.1-1.3
September 6-8 (Labor Day no class Sept 4) Sections 2.1-2.4
September 11-15 Section 2.5, 2.6

Ch 3-5 Greek Mathematics

September 18-22 Sections 3.1-3.5
September 25-29 Sections 4.1-4.3 (Select Term Paper Topic by this Friday)
October 2-6 Sections 4.4-4.6 (Complete First Short Paper by this Friday)
October 9-13 Sections 5.1-5.4 (Submit Term Paper Outline by this Friday)

Ch 6-7 The Middle Ages

October 16-20 Sections 6.1-6.4 Midterm exam 1 Friday October 20
October 23-27 Sections 7.1-7.4

Ch 8-10 The Birth of Modern Mathematics

October 30-November 3 Sections 8.1-8.2 (Submit Term Paper Bibliography by this Friday)
November 6-8 Sections 8.3-9.1 (Veteran's Day no class November 10) (Complete Second Short Paper by this Wednesday)
November 13-17 Sections 9.2-9.3
November 20-22 (Thanksgiving Holiday no class November 24) Sections 10.1-10.3

Ch 11-13 The Golden Age of Mathematics

November 27-December 1 Sections 11.1, 11.2 Midterm exam 2 Friday December 1
December 4-8 Sections 11.3-12.1 (Show me rough draft of Term Paper by this Monday)
December 11-15 Sections 12.2-13.3 (Submit two copies of Term Paper by this Friday)

Final Exams December 18-22 (7:30-9:30 am Thursday December 21)

Short Paper Topics:

1. Mathematics in Early Civilizations
2. European Mathematics to the Middle Ages

Each of these short papers (about 3-4 double-spaced, typed pages) is an expanded outline of material covered in class and by your text. There is no need to find additional references-the purpose of each paper is to help you make sense of the important material that has been covered over the past month. If you wish, you may request to write either or both papers about different periods than those listed. Be sure to check with me about such changes in advance.

Term Paper Topics:

You can choose a famous mathematician (e.g., Ramanujan or Euler) or a significant problem (e.g., Independence of the Parallel Postulate, Fermat's Last Theorem). Using outside sources, obtained from the sources such as the Tri College libraries or interlibrary loan, you are to describe the significance of this individual or problem to the development of mathematics. This expository term paper should be prepared using a standard style guide, such as APA (used by mathematics educators and NCTM publications) or mathematics journals (such as the MAA's Mathematics Magazine or the American Mathematical Monthly). Including references and appendices, this should not exceed 5000 words or 20 double-spaced typed pages.