This section contains references to books or articles that may be of interest to all those concerned with the history of mathematics. Please send details with complete bibliographic information to the editor for inclusion in future issues.
Arcavi, A., & Bruckheimer, M. (2000). Didactical uses of primary sources from the history of mathematics. Themes in education, 1, 55-74.
The authors describe how primary sources can help to trace the development of a topic, in a way in which most sources cannot. Also they analyze how historical sources may provide alternative ways of representing mathematical ideas, and thus of doing mathematics. Sometimes a primary source can even by surprisingly simpler than the much later (and thus supposedly more friendly) elaboration of the presentation of a topic.
Testa, G. (2001) Per un avvio alla ricerca “storica” in campo scientifico: studenti al lavoro. L’insegnamento della matematica e delle scienze integrate, 24B, 39-68.
The article contains the results of a research by a group of students in an Italian high school with humanistic orientation (Liceo classico) on the following subjects: Archimedes’ life and death, Contributions from the ancients to the study of optics, Foucault’s pendulum. The aim was both to guide students’ work in internet and to encourage them to read historical-scientific documents in the original, always urging them to be as independent as possible. This work can be considered an example of the use of history of mathematics to foster students’ acquisition of competencies and skills useful for other school disciplines, e.g. historical method to look at history, writing, selecting information. Also it provides a nice example of efficient collaborative work.
Gusev, V. A. & Safuanov, I. S. (2000). Some theoretical problems of the development of mathematical thinking. In T. Nakahara & M. Koyama (editors). Proceedings of the 24th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, University of Hiroshima, Japan, v.3, 17-24.
This paper deals with some important problems of the development of mathematical thinking. Among other elements it is considered the genetic approach through history. In this concern there are interesting reference to an old Russian book by N. A. Izvolsky on the didactics of geometry appeared at the beginning of the nineteenth century, which was very appreciated in Europe.
Furinghetti, F. & Somaglia, A. M. (2001). The method of analysis as a common thread in the history of algebra: reflections for teaching. Themes in education, 2, 3-14.
This paper describes the main outline of a course for in-service teachers on the teaching of algebra. The aim of this course was twofold: to make teachers aware of students’ difficulties in learning, and to discuss the nature of these difficulties. To place teachers in a different perspective, from which to look at didactic problems, passages taken from the history of mathematics were used. The method of analysis was chosen as a common thread of these passages.
G. M. Phillips, Two Millennia of Mathematics from Archimedes to Gauss, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2000 DM98
Lenart Berggren et al, Pi: A source book, Springer-Verlag, New York, Berlin etc. 2nd ed., 2000, US$64·95
T. K. Nag, The Roots of Civilisation: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, T. K. Nag Foundation, Kolkata, 1999, US$14·95
N. K. Jain Chowdhary, Vedic and Jain Mathematics, Vishva Punar Nirman Sangh, Nagpur, 2001, Rs.100/-
Padmavathamma (editor) Ganitasara-sangraha of Mahavisacarya, with English and Kannada translations, Hombuja Jain Math, Hombuja, 2000, Rs 750/-
K. S. Patwardham et al (ed. and transl.) Lilavati of Bhaskaracarya, text and English translation, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 2001, Rs 495/-
Professor R. C. Gupta (R-20, Ras Bahar Colony, P O Lahar Gird, Jhansi - 284003, U.P., India) will be glad to supply information on Indian publications (books and articles) on history of mathematics, and to answer queries about history of mathematics in India. A bibliography of his own publications (1958 to 1995) was published in the Historia Scientiarum (Japan), Vol.6, No.1 (1996), 43-53
R. J. Wilson, Stamping through mathematics, Springer-Verlag, New York, Berlin etc.2001 ISBN 0-387-98949-8 £17
This is a superb book. It is not a conventional history of mathematics book, but the text and sometimes self-explanatory illustrations make this a book suitable for all those interested in the history of mathematics. It contains almost 400 colour enlargements of postage stamps ranging from the earliest forms of counting to the computer age. Influential figures such as Pythagoras, Newton and Einstein feature with areas of study such as Islamic mathematics, Indian mathematics, navigation, astronomy and art. Every school, college, university and individual should have a copy
Contributors to this section:
Fulvia Furinghetti
R. C. Gupta
Peter Ransom
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