Histry the Hd Way Amy Shell-Gellasch Betty Mayfield Hd Cllege MD-DC-VA Sectin Octber 27, 2012
Weaving histry int the majr Mathematics as part f the liberal arts Frm the Department s Missin Statement: Students in all curses use mathematical reasning in bth theretical and applied settings, explre majr ideas in their histrical cntext, and learn prblem slving skills and the applicatin f apprpriate technlgy in the slutin f prblems.
Strategies Histrical readings Class activities, assignments Prjects Summer research Senir seminar
Readings The Mathematical Universe: all students purchase in Calculus I, use in every subsequent curse Readings fr Calculus: instructrs pst readings, hld discussin, give quizzes Gemetry: histrical backgrund fr Euclidean, nn-euclidean gemetries Textbks fr upper-level curses chsen fr histrical apprach Bressud, A Radical Apprach t Real Analysis Fcus n histry blurbs in ther texts: Differential Equatins, Linear Algebra
Prblems Histrical prblems used in class activities, assigned as hmewrk. Examples: Number Thery: Wrk prblems frm Diphantus at beginning f semester Watch Nva vide abut Andrew Wiles at end f semester Cnnect elliptic curves t Diphantine prblems Real Analysis: Wrk prblems based n Briggs principle, used t cmpute first table f base-ten lgarithms
Class demnstratins/ discussin Examples: Mdeling and Simulatin Build a mdel f a pendulum clck Discuss the histry f timekeeping Graph Thery Discuss Heawd s and Kempe s attempts t prve the Fur Clr Therem Study the histry f the Mathematical Institute f Oberwlfach (a graph thery prblem is named fr it) Discrete Mathematics Read chapter in Mathematical Universe abut Bertrand Russell Watch the dcumentary N is a Number abut Paul Erdős Discuss/cmpare
Histrical Prjects Examples: Numerical analysis Prepare a 25-minute ral presentatin n a mathematician wh has cntributed t the field f numerical analysis. Graph thery With a partner, research a famus graph thery prblem and write a paper abut its histry and its slutin. Present t class rally. Scavenger hunts: finding histrical infrmatin n the Internet
Summer Research Hd Summer Research Institute [Eight weeks, students and faculty wrking tgether] Past examples: Gerbert and the Spanish March Apprximatins t Pi thrughut Histry Wmen and Mathematics in the Time f Euler Talks at Sectin meetings and MathFest
Senir Seminar in the Histry f Mathematics Students d histrical readings and reprt. Recent texts used in the curse Wardhaugh, Hw t Read Histrical Mathematics Hdgkin, Histry f Mathematics: Frm Mesptamia t Mdernity Dunham, Jurney thrugh Genius Perl, Math Equals: Bigraphies f Wmen Mathematicians Jseph, Crest f the Peacck: Nn-Eurpean Rts f Mathematics Other readings frm varius bks and jurnal articles. Write a bk review n a bk abut the histry f mathematics
Seminar, cntinued Wrk math prblems frm anther time (frm Eves, r Math thrugh the Ages, etc.) Visit the Natinal Museum f American Histry, visit Peggy Kidwell, tur the attic Visit the Library f Cngress Attend Smky Muntain Undergraduate Cnference in the Histry f Mathematics Make and display a pster abut a histry tpic Research paper Semester-lng prject Literature search, anntated bibligraphy Outline, draft, final paper
Achieving ur Gals Six ver-arching gals fr the majr in mathematics. Gal 6: Students will understand mathematics in its histrical cntext. Objectives: Whenever pssible, students will learn mathematics in the cntext f its histrical develpment. Students will learn abut the histry f mathematics and cmmunicate it t thers. Students will learn abut the cntributins f wmen and nn-western schlars t the develpment f mathematics.
Senir exit survey Students were asked t respnd t the statement: The prgram in mathematics helped me understand mathematics in its histrical cntext. Results frm May 2012 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Understand math in histrical cntext 0% Strngly agree Agree Neither agree nr disagree Disagree Strngly disagree
Student cmments [I learned abut the histry f math in] Histry f Mathematics, sme als in number thery, numerical analysis, and discrete mathematics. I was able t see where mathematics began, as well as hw it evlved. It was s interesting t see the varius ntatins, t see that it wasn't always algebraic, as we write equatins nw. Histry f Math Seminar was ne f my tp tw favrite math classes taken.