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Convergence Calendar

Please submit Calendar items and updates to convergence@maa.org.

Entries are tagged as follows:

  • Red text – the event has been cancelled.
  • Blue text – the event is online (virtual).
  • Green text – the event is hybrid (occurring simultaneously in-person and online).
  • Orange text – after the event, a recording has been made available.

An archive of past Calendar items is also available.

2024


January 3–6, 2024:  Joint Mathematics Meetings, San Francisco, California

          The program includes the following sessions relevant to the history of mathematics and its use in teaching:

  • AMS Special Session on History of Mathematics, co-organized by Adrian Rice, Sloan Evans Despeaux, Deborah Kent, and Jemma Lorenat.
  • AMS Special Session on Mathematics and Philosophy, co-organized by Tom Morley and Bonnie Gold.
  • Professional Enhancement Program (PEP), Bringing Ethics and Justice to the Mathematics Classroom Through Historical Case Studies, co-organized by Jemma Lorenat and Deborah Kent.


January 18, 2024:  Philadelphia Area Seminar on the History of Mathematics (PASHoM), Villanova University
This talk will be online only.

          The PASHoM seminar will meet virtually on Zoom for the spring semester (except the April talk, which will be hybrid), with one speaker each month. In the January talk Jeffrey Oaks, University of Indianapolis, will present How to Think Like a Medieval Algebraist. All seminar talks will begin at 6:30 pm ET. Contact Alan Gluchoff for parking or Zoom details.


January 25–26, 2024:  Being a Minority in Medieval and Early-Modern Sciences, L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science and Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Staszic Palace, Warsaw (Poland)

          The workshop will bring together scholars and students alike, welcoming their diverse methodological backgrounds and perspectives. Our goal is to create an inclusive and diverse platform that fosters meaningful discussions on the social and cultural aspects of minorities and the sciences throughout different historical periods and cultures. By engaging in this multidisciplinary exploration, we hope to gain deeper insights into the complex interplay between scientific pursuits and minority experiences in the past. Deadline for the submission of abstracts: October 15, 2023. Notification of acceptance by email: October 30, 2023. Questions and abstracts should be addressed to Dr. Josefina Rodríguez-Arribas: rodriguezarribas@gmail.com.


February 15, 2024:  Philadelphia Area Seminar on the History of Mathematics (PASHoM), Villanova University
This talk will be online only.

          The PASHoM seminar will meet virtually on Zoom for the spring semester (except the April talk, which will be hybrid), with one speaker each month. In the February talk Bonita Lawrence, Professor Emerita, Marshall University, will speak on Solving Dynamic Equations: Using Gifts from the Past. The Marshall Differential Analyzer Project developed from an idea sparked by a visit to the London Science Museum’s display of historic differential analyzer machines. The primary goal of the project was to offer an alternative perspective, and hence an enhanced understanding, of the behavior of solutions to dynamic equations. As our study and the construction of our machines progressed, we found that the dynamic motion of the machine’s components and the sounds created offered observers an amazing physical connection to the “programed” mathematical equation. Through the years, our machines have been used to teach students about modeling physical systems with dynamic equations, for research studies, and to offer prospective students an alternative view of our mathematical structure.This presentation will begin with some discussion of the history of the development of these machines and of our own project. A general overview of the primary components of the machine and the relationship between the mechanics and the mathematics being modeled will follow. The big finale will be a live streaming of a run of the large four integrator machine, complete with a discussion of the link between the physical connections between the components and the differential equation under consideration. All seminar talks will begin at 6:30 pm ET. Contact Alan Gluchoff for parking or Zoom details.


March 2, 2024:  BSHM Research in Progress Meeting, Queen's College, Oxford, England

          BSHM’s annual meeting that provides an opportunity for graduate students in any area of the history of mathematics to present their work to a friendly and supportive audience.


March 6, 2024:  Frederick V. Pohle Colloquium Series in the History of Mathematics, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
This talk will be held in a hybrid format.

          Scheduled at 4:00 pm ET in Room HHE214 Business Building and preceded by coffee at 3:30 pm in Room 414 Science Building, Adelphi Univ. Ximena Catepillán of Millersville University will speak on Maya numbers and calendrical computations. The presentation will be simulcast on Zoom. Contact Pat Allaire or Rob Bradley for further details about attending in person or virtually.


March 21, 2024:  Philadelphia Area Seminar on the History of Mathematics (PASHoM), Villanova University
This talk will be online only.

          The PASHoM seminar will meet virtually on Zoom for the spring semester (except the April talk, which will be hybrid), with one speaker each month. In the March talk Daniel Otero, Assoc. Prof., Xavier University, will present Barrow's "sum of secants." All seminar talks will begin at 6:30 pm ET. Contact Alan Gluchoff for parking or Zoom details.


April 12–13, 2024:  Women and Worlds of Learning in Europe: From the Medieval to the Modern Day, Oxford University, England

          This conference aims to explore the different experiences of women in intellectual spheres and how these roles have developed over time. It commemorates the women whose complex relationships with higher education have shaped the experience of female scholars today and to acknowledge there is still work to be done. This call for papers is also a call for action. The call for papers is open until September 1st.


April 17, 2024:  Frederick V. Pohle Colloquium Series in the History of Mathematics, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
This talk will be held in a hybrid format.

          Scheduled at 4:00 pm ET in Room HHE214 Business Building and preceded by coffee at 3:30 pm in Room 414 Science Building, Adelphi Univ. Larry D’Antonio of Ramapo College will speak on “Edmond Halley, not just comets, but so much more.” The presentation will be simulcast on Zoom. Contact Pat Allaire or Rob Bradley for further details about attending in person or virtually.


April 18, 2024:  Philadelphia Area Seminar on the History of Mathematics (PASHoM), Villanova University
This talk will be held in a hybrid format.

          The PASHoM seminar will meet virtually on Zoom for the spring semester (except the April talk, which will be hybrid), with one speaker each month. In the April talk David E. Dunning, University of Pennsylvania, will present From Notations to Neurons: Mathematical Logic, AI, and the Act of Writing. All seminar talks will begin at 6:30 pm ET. Contact Alan Gluchoff for parking or Zoom details.


April 19, 2024:  Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics (CSHPM) Online Colloquium
This colloquium will take place virtually.

         This session of CSHPM's online colloquium series will feature Brenda Davison, Simon Fraser University, who will speak on the topic Divergent series and asymptotic expansions, 1850–1900 beginning at 11:00 AM Pacific Time, 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Colloquium sessions are open to CSHPM  members as well as the broader scholarly community. Participants are encouraged to become members (for as little as $10–$30/year, depending on your employment status), but it is not required. The talk will last 30 minutes, followed by a Q&A. For Zoom meeting details, visit the society's public Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/cshpmschpm) or calendar page (http://www.cshpm.org/meeting/CSHPMOnlineColloquium.php).


April 25, 2024:  New directions in the history of mathematics: Research and Teaching, The Open University, Milton Keynes
This meeting will be held in a hybrid format.

          This one-day meeting celebrates the contributions of June Barrow-Green, Jeremy Gray, and Robin Wilson to history of mathematics at Open University and worldwide. For more details about attending via Microsoft Teams or in person, please contact Brigitte Stenhouse.


April 26, 2024:  LMS Spitalfields and Hirst Lecture, De Morgan House, London, England
These talks will be held in a hybrid format.

          Lectures will be delivered by Jeremy Gray and by Erhard Scholz, winner of the 2023 Joint LMS-BSHM Hirst Prize and Lectureship. Register here to attend in person or via Zoom.


May 1, 2024:  Frederick V. Pohle Colloquium Series in the History of Mathematics, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
This talk will be held in a hybrid format.

          Scheduled at 4:00 pm ET in Room 211 of the Blodgett Building and preceded by coffee at 3:30 pm in Room 414 Science Building, Adelphi Univ. William Dunham of Bryn Mawr College will speak on The Math Matriarchs of Bryn Mawr. The presentation will be simulcast on Zoom. Contact Pat Allaire or Rob Bradley for further details about attending in person or virtually.


May 1, 2024:   The Hazen Lecture, The History of Science Society, New York Academy of Medicine, New York City

          Daniel J. Kevles of Yale University will present From Private and Insular to Public and Engaged: The History of Science in the Century Since Sarton.


June 3, 2024:  After Hours with Medieval Science, Linda Hall Library
This program will be presented virtually. View the recording here.

          At 1:00 pm CDT, Seb Falk of Cambridge University will discuss his 2020 book, The Light Ages, which emphasized the intellectual achievements of the Middle Ages. In particular, he and the Library’s Jason Dean will focus on a copy of the medieval astronomy textbook Sphaera Mundi, composed ca 1215 by John of Holywood (called Sacro Bosco), and printed by Erhard Ratdolt in 1482. Register for the Zoom link here.


June 15–17, 2024:  Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics (CSHPM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada

          The Society’s Annual Meeting will take place at McGill University in Montreal as part of Congress 2024 of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. The special session, CSHPM at 50: Looking Back, Looking Ahead, celebrates the Society’s 50th anniversary. Papers may address the history and philosophy of mathematics in Canada or the CSHPM, or graduate students and early career scholars may discuss their contributions to the future of the history and philosophy of mathematics. The general session welcomes papers on any subject relating to the history of mathematics, its use in the teaching of mathematics, the philosophy of mathematics, or a related topic. Abstracts are due February 10, 2024. For further information contact Maria Zack.


June 28, 2024:  Kelvin at 200, De Morgan House, London, England

          A joint meeting between the BSHM, the London Mathematical Society, and the University of Glasgow, to celebrate the wide-ranging scientific contributions of William Thomson, Lord Kelvin on his 200th Birthday.


July 1–5, 2024:  HPM 2024: International Study Group on the Relations Between the History and Pedagogy of Mathematics (HPM), Sydney, Australia

          HPM 2024 is the eleventh quadrennial meeting of the HPM group, an affiliated study group of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, ICMI. By combining the history of mathematics with the teaching and learning of mathematics, HPM connects the past and the future of mathematics. Therefore, the group aims to stress the conception of mathematics as a living science, a science with a long history, a vivid present, and an as yet unforeseen future. The program includes plenary lectures, panels, workshops, parallel sessions where participants present research reports, poster exhibitions, and exhibitions of books and other didactical material. Proposals for contributed talks, workshops and posters are due by the extended deadline of March 15, 2024, using the application form posted on the meeting website. For further information, see also the Second Announcement or contact Snezana Lawrence.


July 7–14, 2024:  ICME-15: International Congress on Mathematics Education (ICME), Sydney, Australia

          The largest international conference on mathematics education in the world, this quadrennial event is organized under the auspices of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction and explores current global trends in mathematics education research and mathematics teaching practices at all levels. The program includes 54 Topic Study Groups (TSGs), including TSG 5.4: The Role of the History of Mathematics in Mathematics Education. Although the deadline for submitting TSG presentation proposals closed in fall 2023, all conference attendees are able to collaboratively explore classic and contemporary topics relevant to mathematics education by participating in these session-based discussions.


August 7–10, 2024:  MAA MathFest, Indianapolis, IN

          MathFest 2024, the annual summer meeting of the Mathematical Association of America, is scheduled to be held at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, IN. History-related events include the following:

  • HOM SIGMAA Business Meeting and Invited Address, The HOM SIGMAA Business Meeting and Guest Lecture includes both the annual business meeting for the History of Mathematics Special Interest Group of the MAA and a lecture by Jeffrey A. Oaks, University of Indianapolis. Organized by Abe Edwards (Michigan State University) and Ximena Catepillán (Millersville University).
  • MAA Invited Address by William Dunham, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr Matriculation Exams from Days of Yore.
  • Workshop, On the Shoulders of Giants: Teaching and Learning Mathematics from Primary Historical Sources, sponsored by HOM SIGMAA and organized by Abe Edwards (Michigan State Univ.), Jennifer Clinkenbeard (California State University, Monterey Bay), Ken Monks (College of Southern Nevada), Daniel E. Otero (Xavier University), Adam Parker (Wittenberg University), and Michael Saclolo (St. Edwards University).
  • Workshop, Putting the Differential Back into Calculus, in which participants will learn to develop the differentiation rules in the manner of Leibniz (using differentials rather than limits). The workshop will compare and contrast solution methods using differentials with the modern approaches using the Derivative Calculus of Lagrange. The source material for the workshop’s activities will be drawn from the organizers’ OER Calculus textbook Differential Calculus: From Practice to Theory. Organized by Robert Rogers (SUNY Fredonia) and Eugene (Bud) Boman (Penn State, Harrisburg).
  • A History of Mathematics Trivia Contest, sponsored by HOM SIGMAA and the Committee on Undergraduate Student Programming (CUSP). Come join fellow math enthusiasts for a fun time of team trivia. Questions will focus on the history of mathematics, as well as mathematical connections to the Hoosier State. Undergraduates are especially encouraged to attend, but the contest is open to everyone! Organized by Ximena Catepillán (Millersville University of Pennsylvania), Greg Coxson (United States Naval Academy), Abe Edwards (Michigan State University), and Janine Janoski (King's College).
  • Invited Paper Session, Celebrating 50 years of Embodied Mathematics in the Rubik’s Cube, organized by Brett Stevens (Carleton University).
  • Special (Invited Paper) Session from the Indiana Section, Notable Events in the History of the Indiana Section of the MAA. Sponsored by The Indiana Section of the MAA and organized by Rick Gillman (Valparaiso University).
  • Read the Masters! Cauchy's Limits and the Integral Defined, sponsored by HOM SIGMAA, the TRIUMPHS Society, the ORESME Reading Group, the ARITHMOS Reading Group, and the Euler Society. Organized by Daniel Otero (Xavier University) and Robert Bradley (Adelphi University).


August 15, 2024:  Forum of the History of the Mathematical Sciences Virtual Group, History of Science Society
This discussion will be online only.

          FoHoMS members meet monthly at 1:00 pm CDT to discuss various significant articles and books in the history of mathematics. Contact E.A. Hunter for Zoom details and a copy of this month’s reading, which is Jesper Lützen's “On ‘Space’ and ‘Geometry’ in the Nineteenth Century.”


September 12, 2024:  Forum of the History of the Mathematical Sciences Virtual Group, History of Science Society
This discussion will be online only.

          FoHoMS members meet monthly at 1:00 pm CDT to discuss various significant articles and books in the history of mathematics. Contact E.A. Hunter for Zoom details and a copy of this month’s reading, which is the introduction and first chapter of Jeremy Gray’s Plato’s Ghost.


September 12, 2024:  Philadelphia Area Seminar on the History of Mathematics (PASHoM), Villanova University
This discussion will be online only.

          The PASHoM seminar will resume for the 2024–2025 academic year with a discussion led by Tom Drucker of the paper, “Exploring Felix Klein’s Contested Modernism,” by Peter Heinig, Mikhail G. Katz, Karl Kuhlemann, Jan Peter Schäfermeyer, and David Sherry. A PDF may be found here. All seminar talks will begin at 6:30 pm ET. Contact Alan Gluchoff for parking or Zoom details.


September 14, 2024:  Sphere and Cylinder Reading Group
This discussion will be online only.

          Historians and others interested in the history of Greek mathematics are forming a group to collectively read Book I of Archimedes’ Sphere and Cylinder. Sessions will be held at 10:00 am CDT/5:00 pm CEDT. Access pdfs of Archimedes in Greek, English, and Italian here. Attendees are welcome to read in any language, but the discussion will be in English and some of the discussion will be on the language/style of Archimedes, i.e. the Greek. Contact E.A. Hunter for Zoom details.


September 16–20, 2024:  ICHME-8 Eighth International Conference on the History of Mathematics Education, Warsaw, Poland

         This conference devoted solely to the history of mathematics education will be held at the Institute for the History of Science, Polish Academy of Sciences. Proceedings will be published after the meeting. Topics may include but are not limited to: methodology; transmission and reception of new educational ideas in mathematics education; connections between the history of mathematics education and the history of mathematics; actors and contributors in mathematics education; development of mathematics education in specific countries; development and changes in mathematical content within a curriculum and in the form of its presentation; mathematics education of groups historically underserved in education; mathematics teacher education; mathematics textbooks and other educational resources; and reforms in mathematics education. Submit an abstract with selected bibliography (maximum of 500 words) to ichme8@gmail.com by the extended deadline of March 1.


September 18, 2024:  Fakes and Fortunes: Johannes Kepler in UCL's Special Collections, University College London
This panel will be held in a hybrid format.

          Scheduled for 2:00 pm BT/9:00 am ET/6:00 am PT, UCL Special Collections will hold a panel discussion about one of the most unexpected and complex mysteries in its collection: Johannes Kepler's De Cometis (1619) and Stella Nova (1606). This event will showcase the fascinating story of robbery, fraud, and scientific discovery uncovered in the process of verifying this claim to ownership. Current and emerging methods for Special Collections research and possibilities afforded by interdisciplinary work in digital imaging, conservation, and bibliography will be interrogated. Book a free ticket here.


September 20, 2024:  History of Modern Mathematics: A Conversation, Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey
This symposium will be held in a hybrid format.

          The program will begin at 11:00 am EDT with an introduction by Karen Hunger Parshall and Sonja Brentjes, followed by the talk “Big Mathematics? The Classification of Finite Simple Groups, 1950s–1980,” by Volker Remmert and Rebecca Waldecker. The speakers will then join Helmut Hofer and Alma Steingart for a panel discussion on “History of modern mathematics—how and why?” that will end at 1:00 pm EDT. Visit this link to register to attend in person or virtually.


September 21, 2024:  Meeting in Memory of David Singmaster, De Morgan House, London, England
This meeting will be held in a hybrid format.

          An interactive day to celebrate the life and works of recreational mathematician David Singmaster. Speakers include Katie Steckels, Adam Atkinson, Peter Rowlett, Vinay Kathotia, Robin Wilson, Colin Wright, Tiago Hirth, and Lisa Rougetet.


October 4, 2024:  HOM SIGMAA Virtual Speaker Series
This talk will take place virtually.

         The series of online talks from the History of Mathematics Special Interest Group of the Mathematical Association resumes with Aditya Kolachana, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, who will speak on the topic Mathematics in India: Origins, Highlights and Pedagogy beginning at 11:00 AM Pacific Time, 2:00 PM Eastern Time. For Zoom meeting details, contact Abe Edwards.


October 9, 2024:  2024 Gresham Lecture, Barnard’s Inn Hall, Gresham College, London, England
This lecture will be delivered in a hybrid format.

          Rob Eastaway will deliver this year’s Gresham Lecture on ideas from his recent book, Much Ado about Numbers, on mathematics in the life and works of William Shakespeare.


October 17, 2024:  Meet the Enigma Machine: The Maths of Secrecy, London, England

          MathsWorldUK will present a 2-hour program on Alan Turing, codebreaking, and public key cryptography beginning at 6:00 pm GMT. Attendees will have the opportunity to examine an Enigma machine.


October 24, 2024:  Philadelphia Area Seminar on the History of Mathematics (PASHoM), Villanova University
This talk will be presented in a hybrid format.

          The PASHoM seminar meets both in person and virtually on Zoom, with one speaker per month each semester. In the October talk Alan Levine, Franklin and Marshall College, will present Markov’s “Calculus of Probabilities.” An excerpt from Levine’s translation with classroom activities appeared in Convergence in November 2023. All seminar talks will begin at 6:30 pm ET. Contact Alan Gluchoff for parking or Zoom details.


November 7–10, 2024:  Annual Meeting, History of Science Society, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

          This year’s conference theme is Imperfect Pasts, Uncertain Futures to mark HSS’s 100th anniversary. The organizers invite submissions on any topic in the history of science, but they especially encourage proposals of organized sessions and roundtables that address aspects of the conference theme.The meeting will be in-person. HSS is also planning to host a virtual festival at a later date with limited slots for members who are unable to attend in person to share their work.


November 11–13, 2024:  34th Novembertagung on the History and Philosophy of Mathematics, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Art, Belgrade

          The annual international conference for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the history, philosophy, and foundations of mathematics and related areas offers travel and accommodation funding. In addition to talks by students, senior researchers will provide keynote funding. Abstracts were due on September 1. The conference website is here.


December 7, 2024:  Christmas Meeting and 2024 AGM, British Society for the History of Mathematics
This meeting will take place online.

          BSHM members are invited to present short talks (probably 15 mins + 5 mins questions). If you would like to offer a talk, please submit a title and 100-word abstract to brigitte.stenhouse@open.ac.uk. The AGM will be held during the lunch break in the meeting.

2025


January 20–24, 2025:  Modern History of Mathematics: Emerging Themes, University of Cambridge, England
This workshop will be hybrid, with both in-person and virtual components.

          The first research seminar on the history of mathematics at the Isaac Newton Institute will begin with a workshop that is open both to in-person seminar participants and online guests. Each speaker will respond to “What do you consider to be the most significant open question, or lacuna, in your area of the history of mathematics?” Registration is free for virtual participants, but it must be completed by 22 September 2024. Additional information is available here.


February 22, 2025:  Research in Progress Meeting, British Society for the History of Mathematics, Queen’s College, Oxford, England

          BSHM’s annual meeting that provides an opportunity for graduate students in any area of the history of mathematics to present their work to a friendly and supportive audience. Abstracts are due to Christopher Hollings by 30 November 2024.


May 12, 2025:  Numbers and Narratives: A Feminist Genealogy of Automathographies, San Francisco, California

          May 12 is the International Women in Mathematics Day, which was chosen to mark and celebrate the birthday of Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics, in 2014. In joining these celebrations all over the world, the leaders organize a symposium, which will address amongst others the following questions, but its topics will by no means be restricted within them:

  • How can we make sense of women mathematicians’ historical emergence as subjects of scientific knowledge, as well as creators of philosophy and culture?
  • In what ways can memory work in the archives motivate young women and girls to re-imagine themselves as mathematicians in the future?

Please send an abstract of around 200 words with a short bio to Maria Tamboukou by June 30, 2024.

Please submit Calendar items and updates to convergence@maa.org.