MM822: History of Mathematics (10 ECTS)

STADS: 13013001

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the autumn semester.

Teacher responsible
Email: jessica@imada.sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
Show personal time table for this course.

Comment:
Ubegrænset deltagerantal.

Prerequisites:
None.

The course cannot be chosen by students, who have passed MM822 (5 ECTS).

Academic preconditions:
Students taking the course are expected to have knowledge of basic concepts within core areas of mathematics such as elementary geometry and concepts such as continuity, limit, differentiability, infinite series from mathematical analysis.

Furthermore it presupposes that the student is able to by him/herself read mathematical texts at BA-level.

Course introduction
The aim of the course is

• To give the student an overview of the history of mathematics from ancient Civilizations to the 20th century. The course gives a more detailed insight to the following subjects: history of equations; the development of calculus; Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry.
• To allow the students to concentrate on a chosen subject with the history of mathematics.

The course builds on the knowledge acquired in the Bachelor in mathematics, in particular the basic courses (calculus, algebra, mathematical analysis and mathematical methods) placed in the first year, that are also part of the minor in mathematics. The course gives the prerequisites to write a master thesis in the history of mathematics. Together with e.g. NAT805 it provides the student with the skills to prepare material for teaching the history of mathematics in high school.

In relation to the competence profile of the degree it is the explicit focus of the course to:

• Give the competence to produce material for teaching history of mathematics in the Danish high school.
• Provide knowledge of the development of mathematics through times.

Expected learning outcome
The learning objectives of the course are that the student demonstrates the ability to:

• select and present relevant parts of the syllabus
• place a piece of mathematics in an internal and external historical context
• present certain methods that were used by previous mathematicians
• analyse and present historical source material

Subject overview
The following main topics are contained in the course: Numbers, magnitudes and real numbers. Greek geometry. History of equations. Pre -history of Calculus. The invention of Calculus: Newton and Leibniz. 18th- and 19th- Century Analysis. Non-Euclidean geometry. Aspects of Ninetieth and Twentieth Century mathematics.

Literature

Meddeles ved kursets start.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:

1. Oral exam without exam aids. Danish 7-mark scale, external marking. 5 ECTS
2. Project. Pass/fail, internal marking by teacher. 5 ECTS

Reexamination in the same exam period or immediately thereafter.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 26 hours
Skills training phase: 28 hours, hereof:
 - Tutorials: 28 hours

Educational activities Study phase: 60 hours
Educational form
Activities during the study phase:

• Preparing a presentation of one of the assignments in the tutorials.
• Work in groups on a chosen historical text, preparation of presentation and writing report.

Language
This course is taught in Danish.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.