This course will try to put a human face on some of the important mathematics from 1600 to the present. The mathematics of the early part of this period includes much of high school and college math, but it is usually presented as textbook theorems devoid of any personal, historical or cultural context. The mathematics of the twentieth century is living math, which is encountered too seldom in school and college.
Much of the class will consist of discussion and student presentations, with the goal of increased historical understanding and also the production of historically based math activities suitable for schools.
Each week some class time will be devoted to reading original math sources together.
The class will also produce a class math timeline, possibly to be placed on the World Wide Web.
Students will read original sources and biographical and historical accounts of mathematicians and ideas and will write short reports as the basis for weekly discussions in small groups.
In addition, each student will present a major project consisting of a historical or biographical paper plus an exploration of at least one related mathematical idea in depth, but presented in a form that can be appreciated by a general audience or used in schools.