Classroom Resources Index – Courses on the History of Mathematics

Resources related to the history of specific mathematical topics can also be found in other course-specific subindices.
To browse those subindices, return to main index.

A GeoGebra Rendition of One of Omar Khayyam's Solutions for a Cubic Equation, by Deborah Kent and Milan Sherman
A GeoGebra rendition of how the 11th-century Persian mathematician, philosopher, and poet geometrically determined a positive real solution to a cubic equation, designed for use in an undergraduate history of mathematics course.

A Locally Compact REU in the History of Mathematics: Involving Undergraduates in Research, by Betty Mayfield and Kimberly Tysdal
A description of a Research Experience for Undergraduates conducted in 2007 at Hood College.

A Mathematical History Tour: Reflections on a Study Abroad Program, by R. Abraham Edwards and Marie Savoie
A unique study-abroad course combining the history of mathematics and travel.

A Translation of Evangelista Torricelli's Quadratura Parabolae per novam indivisibilium Geometriam pluribus modis absoluta, by Andrew Leahy and Kasandara Sullivan
An English translation and study of a work representative of the 17th-century infinitesimal methods introduced by Cavalieri, with solutions for its use in an upper-level history of mathematics course.

Building a Book: HathiTrust, Ancestry.com, Serendipity, and Lifetime Interests, by David Lindsay RobertsReveals how personal knowledge, changes in historical research methods, and unexpected discoveries came together in the preparation of a book on the history of American mathematics, and suggests how the lessons learned could be incorporated into history of mathematics and other courses.

HoM Toolbox, or Historiography and Methodology for Mathematicians
A series that guides readers through the basic principles and theoretical approaches for researching and writing the history of mathematics.

How to Improve a Math History Assignment, by Christopher Goff
Moving college students’ original source mathematics history projects beyond “reporting” to “engagement.”

Illustrating The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art: Their Use in a College Mathematics History Classroom, by Joel K. Haack
The author’s experiences on an MAA Mathematical Study Tour to China can enhance your classroom, too.

Impacts of a Unique Course on the History of Mathematics in the Islamic World, by Nuh Aydin
How this course has affected its instructor and students, and how you, too, can teach such a course!

More Than Just a Grade: The HOM SIGMAA Student Contest Fosters Writing Excellence at UMKC, by Richard Delaware
Advice on promoting excellence in student research and writing in the history of mathematics.

Numbers, Infinity, and Reality: An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Philosophy of Mathematics Course, by Kevin DeLapp and Jessica Sorrells
Description of an undergraduate course at Converse University that brings together advanced topics in the philosophy, history, and sociology of mathematics, providing a fruitful collaboration between mathematics instruction and humanities curricula.

Problems for Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics, by William Dunham The author shares 162 problems to help you turn his popular book into a textbook.

SMURCHOM: Providing Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in the History of Mathematics, by Sloan Evans Despeaux
Description of an MAA Regional Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (RUMC) featuring history of mathematics, with ideas for getting students in your mathematics history course started on their research papers and projects.

Quotations in Context, by Michael Molinsky
A series of columns that explores the origins and meanings of various quotations about mathematics and mathematicians.

Student Reports: A Rewarding Undertaking, by Frank J. Swetz
Some ideas on using student reports when you teach a course in the history of mathematics.

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