Math 376: History of Mathematics, Spring 2021
Upcoming Due Dates & Meetings:
Things to be Working On:
Google Docs:
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"Mathematics is not a careful march down a well-cleared highway, but a journey into a strange wilderness, where the explorers often get lost." -W.S. Anglin |
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| Week | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| 1 |
Wednesday 1/20 Class Meeting via Zoom: Discussion of class structure and goals, as well as the origins of mathematics Please complete Pre-Semester Google Survey Extra Credit Syllabus Reading Assignment on Perusall due Tuesday (1/19) 10pm |
Friday 1/22 Class Meeting via Zoom: Nascence of Number Perusal Discussion of Francis Su's MAA address due Thursday 1/21 at 10pm |
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| 2 |
Monday 1/25 Class Meeting via Zoom: Nascence of Number and Ancient Mathematics Perusall Assignments Due Tuesday (1/26): History of Symmetry (Babylonian & Greek Mathematics), Why do people keep making this mistake (Matt Parker video) |
Wednesday 1/27 Class Meeting via Zoom: Ancient Babylonian Mathematics Math Assignment #1 Due Thursday (1/28): Working in Ancient Number Systems |
Friday 1/29 Class Meeting via Zoom: Ancient Babylonian Mathematics ('Rectangle Problems', Square-roots) & Introduction to Ancient Greek Mathematics Perusall Assignment Due Sunday (1/31): Eugenia Cheng, How to Bake Pi |
| 3 |
Monday 2/1 Class Meeting via Zoom: Euclid's Elements and the "cloaking of algebra with geometry" Perusall Assignments Due Tuesday (2/2): Eugenia Cheng's How to Bake PI |
Wednesday 2/3 Class Meeting via Zoom: Mathematics of the Near and Far East Math Assignment #2 Due Thursday 2/4: Ancient Babylonian & Greek Mathematics Please complete the Week 3 Google Survey |
Friday 2/5 Class Meeting IN PERSON and via Zoom: Mathematics of the Near and Far East Perusall Assignment due Sunday or Tuesday |
| 4 |
Monday 2/8 Class Meeting via Zoom: Indian & Persian Mathematics 7th-15th centuries Perusall Assignment Due Tuesday (2/9): Drawbridge Up Perusall Assignment Due Wednesday 10am (2/10): Mathematical Masterpieces, the work of Omar Khayyam |
Wednesday 2/10 Class Meeting via Zoom: Omar Khayyam & Qin Jiu-Shao Math Assignment #3 Due Thursday 2/11: Diophantus Brush up on polynomial long division and synthetic division before class
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Friday 2/12 Class Meeting via Zoom: Mathematics of Qin Jiu-Shao and Discussion of algebra thread up to the 15th century Perusall Assignment Due Sunday 10pm (2/14): Non-Deductive Proof in Ancient Chinese Mathematics
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| 5 |
Monday 2/15 Class canceled: ice storm power outages
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Wednesday 2/17 Class canceled: ice storm power outages
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Friday 2/19 In-person class meeting: discussion comparing and contrasting ancient Greek, Persian, Indian, and Chinese mathematics
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| 6 |
Monday 2/22 Class Meeting via Zoom: Continue our discussion comparing and contrasting ancient Greek, Persian, Indian, and Chinese mathematics Perusall Discussion of symmetry podcast episode #3 (Competitive Mathematics in Renaissance Italy) & AI student podcast Due Tuesday (2/23) 10pm
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Wednesday 2/24 Class Meeting via Zoom: Competitive Mathematics in Renaissance Italy Math Assignment #4 Persian & Chinese Mathematics (Posted on WISE) Due Thursday (2/25)
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Friday 2/26 In-person class meeting: Project Topic Proposal Peer Review
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| 7 |
Monday 3/1 Class Meeting via Zoom: Competitive Mathematics in Renaissance Italy |
Wednesday 3/3 Celebration of Knowledge #1 available on WISE under Tests & Quizzes (including take-home question posted on WISE under Assignments) due Saturday 11pm (3/6) Perusall Discussion of documents related to norms of communication in mathematics Due Thursday (3/4) 10pm. This conversation will be continued in-class on Friday
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Friday 3/5 In-person class meeting: Norms of communication in Mathematics Perusall 2nd chance discussion of documents related to norms of communication Due Sunday (3/7) 10pm
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| 8 |
Monday 3/8 Class Meeting via Zoom: Continuing discussion of Norms of Communication in Modern Mathematics |
Wednesday 3/10 Class Meeting via Zoom: Lagrange's contributions to algebra Math Assignment #5 due Thursday (3/11) |
Friday 3/12 In-person class meeting: The Mathematics of Lagrange
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| 9 |
Monday 3/15 Class Meeting via Zoom: The Mathematics of Lagrange Perusall Discussions: Goedel's Incompleteness Theorem & The Authoring of School Mathematics Due Tuesday (3/16) 10pm.
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Wednesday 3/17 Class Meeting via Zoom: The Mathematics of Lagrange Peer review of Medium proposals Course Project Medium proposal Due in-class Wednesday (3/17) |
Friday 3/19 In-person class meeting: Discussion of the style of Lagrange & Perusall readings
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| 10 |
Monday 3/22 Class Meeting via Zoom: Cauchy's Treatment of Permutations Historical background and Perusall in-class readings. Math Assignment #6: Lagrange's Resolvent, Due Tuesday (3/23) 10pm.
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Wednesday 3/24 Class Meeting via Zoom: Cauchy's Treatment of Permutations Finishing up the math and connecting it to the Algebra thread.
WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE |
Friday 3/26 Spring long weekend - no class |
| 11 |
Monday 3/29 Class Meeting via Zoom: The Proof Project Outlines and Storyboards Due. Peer Reviews due Wednesday 3/31 (10am) Perusall reading on Abel due Tuesday (3/30) 10pm |
Wednesday 3/31 Class Meeting via Zoom: The Proof and Abel
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Friday 4/2 In-person class meeting: Went over Assignment #7 Perusall reading: Weapons of Math Destruction, Due Sunday 11pm Math Assignment #7 Cauchy's Treatment of Permutations due Monday (4/5) |
| 12 |
Monday 4/5 Class Meeting via Zoom: Math of Abel Math Assignment #7: Cauchy's Treatment of Permutations, Due Monday 4/5 (11pm) |
Wednesday 4/7 Class Meeting via Zoom: Group Theory according to Cayley Perusall Discussions: Dance you PhD Due Thursday (4/8) 11pm. |
Friday 4/9 In-person class meeting: Discussion of WMD and Dance Your Phd, and Cayley Math
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| 13 |
Monday 4/12 Class Meeting via Zoom: Cayley & Classification of finite groups Math Assignment #8: Group Theory according to Caley, Due Tuesday 4/13 (11pm) |
Wednesday 4/14 Class Meeting via Zoom: Cayley & Classification of finite groups Perusall Discussions: History of Symmetry - Galois, Galois' Letter to Chevalier, Bell's Take on Galois Due Thursday (4/15) 11pm.
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Friday 4/16 Class Meeting in-person: Galois Theory Rough Draft of Final Project Due Friday (4/16) |
| 14 |
Monday 4/19 Class Meeting via Zoom: Galois Theory |
Wednesday 4/21 No Class SSRD - Support awesome peers in this class by attending their presentations. Perusall Discussions: Maryam Mirzakhani & Sophie Germiane tributes Due Thursday (4/22) 11pm. |
Friday 4/23 Class Meeting in-person: Stereotypes in Mathematics |
| 15 |
Monday 4/26 Class Meeting via Zoom: Galois Theory & Stereotypes wrap up |
Wednesday 4/28 Class Meeting via Zoom: 2nd Celebration of Knowledge Perusall Discussions: Kim Quanta Article & New Yorker What is Math Due Thursday (4/29) 11pm. |
Friday 4/30 Class Meeting in-person: Discussion of where inspiration comes from |
| 16 |
Saturday May 8 Final activity: peer feedback and reflections on course project. |
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