Section and page numbers are from the textbook The History of Mathematics: An Introduction by David Burton. You do not need to submit any solutions! These are just some suggested problems related to our course topics.
Suggested Exercises 1 (covering Lectures 1-2-3):
Sec 1.2: 1c, 2a, 2c, 11a, 12b
Sec 1.3: 1d, 2b, 2c, 6a, 7c, 10a, 11b, 13a, 14c, 17
Sec 2.3: 21, 22, 23
Sec 2.4: 1a, 1c, 2a, 2b, 4, 6
Read pages from 1 to 5.
Give two examples for the mathematics perception of animals.
What are the two systems that control animals' number sense in cognitive psychology?
How does education effect our number sense?
What is the importance of the Rosetta stone?
Give three examples for the mathematical questions from Mesopotamian tablets.
Summarize important Indian mathematical findings.
Explain mathematical findings of the Chinese mathematician Yang Hui.
Express your age and birth year in Egyptian, Sumerian, Mayan, Chinese and Indian numerals.
Suggested Exercises 2 (covering Lectures 4-5):
Sec 5.5: 1a, 1d, 2a, 2b, 5, 11
Summarize contributions of Aristotle.
Explain method of exhaustion of Eudoxus.
Explain overall Hellenistic period and its affect on mathematics.
Define Diophantine equations.
Explain Greek and Roman numerals.
Discuss Julian and Gregorian reforms on calendar.
Explain overall golden age of Islam and its affect on mathematics.
Why does Ramadan shift every year?
Explain the contribution of Islam to trigonometry.
When and where was the first madrasa founded?
Summarize contributions of Nasir al-Din Al-Tusi.
How did Islam effect European mathematics? Why Toledo is important?
Suggested Exercises 3 (covering Lecture 6):
Sec 6.2: 1, 4, 11
Sec 6.3: 1, 4
Explain overall dark ages of Europe.
What are the contributions of Fibonacci?
Summarize Italian algebra during renaissance.
Who were the most important mathematicians related to the solutions of higher (>4) order equations?
Give three examples of the history of modern notation.
What is the importance of Scientific revolution?
Suggested Exercises 4 (covering Lecture 8-9-10):
Give two examples of Turkish center of culture (cities).
Compare Taqi ad-Din's and Brahe's observatories.
Why there is so little scientific activities in declining times of Ottoman Empire?
Why Salih Zeki is crucial for Turkish science and philosophy?
Explain in details the university reform 1933.
Give two examples of scientific terms which are named after recent Turkish scientists.
Explain the general idea of Platonism, logicism, formalism and constructivism,
What are the ideas of Kant about philosophy of mathematics?
Explain the history of logic.
Explain the contributions of Frege and Russell.
Explain the contributions of Gödel and Cohen.