Course Description

MATH 101 is a liberal studies mathematics course. In this section of MATH 101, we will look at the influences Italian mathematicians had on the Renaissance. We will investigate famous works of art found in the Uffizi Gallery. Students will learn how Renaissance painters used geometrical concepts found in the theory of perspective such as parallel lines and vanishing points to create three-dimensional representations on a two-dimensional canvas. We will study the mathematics that enabled the construction of the Duomo, the great dome of Florence, built by Brunelleschi. Students will use paper-folding activities to explore the properties of parabolas and ellipses that enable such a massive structure to bear the weight of all those heavy stones. The work of Fibonacci will be studied. Students will investigate the Fibonacci sequence and its relationship to nature and architecture. They will also study how Fibonacci popularized the Hindu-Arabic numeral system in a quest to simplify bookkeeping and spur commerce among Mediterranean states.

In addition to the mathematical contributions of the Italians, we will look at other mathematical concepts that take advantage of locations around Florence and Siena. For example, the historic center of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. Students will use graph theory to plan an optimal route that takes us to several of the famous attractions. Students will also learn about probability concepts and how odds are calculated for Siena’s famous Palio horse race. Sienna is the home of the Torre del Mangia tower and the Cathedral Siena. Students will use trigonometric concepts to indirectly measure the height of each structure to confirm that they are the same height. The townspeople of Siena built the tower the same height as the cathedral as a sign that the church and state are of equal power.