A History of Mathematics Part II: From the Alexandrine Greeks through the New World and the Orient

Mathematics has a fascinating history and captures many significant milestones in human progress. It was loved by the practicing mathematicians and loathed by many who both hated and feared its power. In Part II we will continue to explore the quest for knowledge and disciplined enquiry into “the most elaborated and sophisticated of the sciences”.

We will first review materials from Part 1 (presented last spring) including: abstraction; methods of reasoning; inductive and deductive logic; axioms and the formal proof. Most topics are developed through class discussions and solving problems. (Bring a paper and pencil, and note that the problems will be new). 

Then we cover the contributions of the Alexandrine Greeks. Using the results of Euclid’s geometry; basics of trigonometry; charting the heavens and earth. Beginnings of astronomy: Eudoxus, Hipparchus, Ptolemy and formulating a theory of planetary motion
New world civilizations such as the Mayas and the Aztecs; Orient and middle east (India, China, the Arabs, and Persians) after the decline of Greek society