HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: MATH 322 , 341 , 375 , 421 , or 467 Course Designation: Core GenEd - Humanities & Arts Breadth - Humanities or Natural Science Level - Advanced L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Recall and state the formal definitions of the mathematical objects and their properties used in various mathematical topics throughout history (e.g., content from number theory, analysis, algebra, etc.). Audience: Undergraduate 2. Use such definitions to argue that a mathematical object does or does not have the condition of being a particular type or having a particular property in the context of these topics. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Recall and state the standard theorems from these topics, and recall the arguments for these theorems and the underlying logic of their proofs. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Prove or disprove statements related to the above definitions, properties, and theorems using techniques of mathematical argument (direct methods, indirect methods, constructing examples and counterexamples, induction, etc.). Audience: Undergraduate 5. Convey arguments in oral and written forms using English and appropriate mathematical terminology, notation, and grammar. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Explain mathematical ideas and describe their historical contexts. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Recall and state the formal definitions of the mathematical objects and their properties used in various mathematical topics throughout history (e.g., content from number theory, analysis, algebra, etc.). Audience: Undergraduate 2. Use such definitions to argue that a mathematical object does or does not have the condition of being a particular type or having a particular property in the context of these topics. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Recall and state the standard theorems from these topics, and recall the arguments for these theorems and the underlying logic of their proofs. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Prove or disprove statements related to the above definitions, properties, and theorems using techniques of mathematical argument (direct methods, indirect methods, constructing examples and counterexamples, induction, etc.). Audience: Undergraduate 5. Convey arguments in oral and written forms using English and appropriate mathematical terminology, notation, and grammar. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Explain mathematical ideas and describe their historical contexts. Audience: Undergraduate