What this course is about

Learning outcomes

• Describe the main contributions to the development of mathematics made by various societies, including Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, China, Mesoamerica, India and the Islamic world.
• Solve mathematical problems from the societies under study in the way these problems were solved at the time.
• Write a timeline of the main events and ideas in the history of mathematics.
• Comprehend mathematical primary sources from different periods.
• Successfully evaluate the credibility of sources according to different criteria.
• Successful completion of MAT 336 with a C or better satisfies DEC H and the expository portion of the upper-division writing requirement for the mathematics major, as well as the SPK, STAS, and WRTD objectives of the Stony Brook Curriculum.

Additional goals of your instructor.

• Assist you in removing your 21st century local glasses and in looking at the math world of ideas with new eyes.
• Share with you some of the beauty of mathematics which can be found specially in the most basic ideas.

Course info

• Moira Chas Instructor Lecture 1, MW 11:30am-12:50pm.
• Alexander Kirillov Instructor Lecture 2,TuTh 10-11:20am.
• Georgina Spence Grader of Lecture 1.
• Yu Xiao Grader of Lecture 2.
• The course schedule lists what topics were covered (or are planned), as well as all the course assignments and deadlines.

Communication

• Please make sure you read and reply to your Stony Brook email and check Brightspace regularly.
• About emailing your instructors: We are here to support and guide you. This includes answering all your relevant questions (we are fans of questions and encourage you to ask them). However, in order to help the entire class, we ask that you email us if and only if you have a question that needs to be asked privately. In that case, by all means, use email. For all other questions or comments, please use the Brightspace discussion form. (We recommend that you subscribe to the forum in Brightspace.) You can also use the discussion forum in Brightspace to inform us of a broken link in the course website.
• We are committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment and giving every student the opportunity to succeed in this course. If you encounter a circumstance that affects your ability to participate in this course, you are welcome (but not required) to contact us to discuss your specific issue. Please be aware that certain problems can be better handled if we address them early.
• We encourage you to contact the SASC office if you need accommodations. SASC can help you document your needs and develop an accommodation plan.
• All questions regarding the grading of quizzes and homework should first be directed to the graders. If you turn in work late, you must discuss it with them.
• All notifications of missed work and absences that you want to be considered in the calculation of your grade must be submitted using this form. At the end of the semester, we will evaluate the forms and, if necessary, rebalance grades accordingly. (Please note that we cannot use email communication to do this, so use the form if necessary).
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• We may take a day or two to respond to emails, so plan accordingly. Also note that we may not be able to respond to emails on weekends or holidays.
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• Constructive feedback is always appreciated.

Course materials

• The course schedule contains links to required readings.
• There is no required textbook, but there are required readings listed in the course schedule. You are encouraged to read books and articles. Many videos, texts, and activities can be found on the links page. If you are interested in a particular topic, feel free to ask us for references.

Assessment

You have probably noticed by now that minds and learning styles come in very different formats. With that in mind, we will be working in very different formats in class. All of our activities may be a bit too much to digest in one syllabus reading, but (hopefully) you will feel comfortable with all of them by the middle of the semester if you put interest and effort into this course. If you miss a quiz due to a serious (documented) illness or emergency, your final quiz grade will be based on the balance of the remaining quizzes.
• Class Polls and Questions: During class we will use Slido. I will ask open-ended questions that you can answer on any device with a web browser (smartphone, laptop, tablet). These questions will not be graded for "correctness", i.e. you will receive one point for each answer you give. I read the answers to see how the class is doing in terms of understanding. All questions are designed to make you think and help you learn. Please note that you must be in class to answer the questions, and that even though your answers are not graded for correctness, they are graded for effort. For example, you may not receive credit for a random sentence.
• Homework: There will be six sets of homework assignments with due dates posted on the course schedule. While you are encouraged to discuss homework problems with your classmates and the instructor, your write-up must be your own. In particular, you may not "cut and paste" content from the Internet or use AI to answer questions unless specifically stated. Make sure your assignments are readable and written in complete English sentences.
• You have a "life happens" late pass that allows you to complete ONE homework set up to four days after the due date, no questions asked. Simply inform the grader that you are using the "life happens" pass.
• Quizzes: There will be five quizzes modeled after the homework questions. The dates are posted on the course schedule.
• Class Participation: You can participate in class by asking questions, answering questions, working on class activities, posting questions and/or comments on the discussion board in Brightspace (where you can, for example, post material related to our class discussions that you find interesting, ...). ) We will work in many different activities in many different forms (individually, in groups, using technology, doing origami, etc).
• Presentation: The presentation is on a topic assigned by the instructor. Here there are more details.
• Paper Preparation: There are a few steps for writing the paper (choosing the math point, finding and annotating relevant bibliography,presenting a draft, etc). Here are guidelines and the rubric of the paper, that might be useful for the paper preparation.
• Paper: You (and all the other students) will write a paper of 2000 to 3500 words on the same topic as the presentation. Here are guidelines and the rubric of the paper.

Annotated bibliography, abstract, outline and math point of the paper.

• The annotated bibliography is the approximate list of articles and books you will use to prepare your presentation and write your paper (you may add or remove some items after your submitted if necessary). Each item on the list must be followed by a summary and an explanation of why the item is included. See more details here.
• The abstract is a short summary (about 300 words) of the paper.
• The outline is a list of "bullet points" that describe the structure of the paper or presentation. In other words, it is the skeleton of the paper. Your paper should be divided into sections, and the titles of those sections make up the outline.
• The "math point" is a purely mathematical aspect of the topic that you master. This math point can be, for example, the solution of a problem, the proof of a statement, or a very good explanation of a definition. It is not the "whole" mathematical aspect of the topic. Examples of math points are
  Combinations and binomial coefficients as explained in Pascal's "Traite du triangle arithmetique".
  • Liu Hui and Tsu Keng-chih's calculation of the volume of a sphere
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  • Analogues of the Pythagorean Theorem with areas of different shapes, such as squares, triangles, and trapezoids.

Grades

While the goal of this course is learning, you may be curious about how I will calculate your final grade. If so, please read the table below. Note that the grade is distributed over many different types of assignments, many of which are "low-stakes".



Important: The presentation and the paper are necessary to pass this class. Therefore, if either is missing, you will not earn a C or better.

What	% of the grade	NOTES
Homework 0	1%
Homework Assignments	20%	divided equally among all assignments
Quizzes	20%	divided equally among all quizzes
Slido Answers	20%	1 point per question answered
Presentation	14%
Paper	15%
Paper preparation (Anotated bibliography for the paper, baby draft, draft, abstract, outline)	10%


As you probably know, life often gets in the way of carefully planned events. If life gets in the way of our course and, say, we end up with four quizzes instead of five, I will adjust the grade accordingly.
• Depending on the number of problems in a set, the grader will grade selected problems and mark the others for completion.
• The main point of Slido's questions, forms, due dates, and class activities is to encourage you to think and learn, not to evaluate. Like other class activities, Slido questions help me gauge your understanding.

Where is what in the cyberspace.

• Course website
  • This syllabus (!)
  • Course schedule
  • Link to the form to explain missed work.
  • Link to the page of reading materials, good sources and apps we will use during the semester.
• Slido
  • Interactive questions during lectures
  • Summary of each lecture at the end. (if you do not have time do it in class, it will be open until midnight of the day of the lecture)
• Course schedule
  • All deadlines
  • Homework Assignments
  • Presentations topics and dates.
• Brightspace
  • Grades
  • Announcements.
  • Discussion forum: Please use it for all questions and comments (see the point about email below). Answering questions of your classmates counts as class participation.
  • Submission of assignments.
• Stony Brook Email (check it daily, just in case)
  • Announcements
  • Other issues

Course description

Description: A survey of the history of mathematics from the beginnings through the 19th century, with special attention to primary sources and to the interactions between culture and mathematics. Emphasis on topics germane to the high school curriculum. Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek mathematics; non-European mathematics; early Renaissance mathematics; the birth and flowering of calculus; the beginnings of probability theory; and the origin of non-euclidean gemetrics and the modern concept of number.
Prerequisite: MAT 200 or MAT 203 or MAT 250 or AMS 261.
DEC: H
SBCL SBC: SPK,STAS,WRTD
Credits: 3

Accesibility, Academic Integrity and Critical Incident Management.

Student Accessibility Support Center Statement

If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, Stony Brook Union Suite 107, (631) 632-6748, or at sasc@stonybrook.edu. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential. Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and the Student Accessibility Support Center. For procedures and information go to the following website: https://ehs.stonybrook.edu//programs/fire-safety/emergency-evacuation/evacuation-guide-disabilities and search Fire Safety and Evacuation and Disabilities.

Academic Integrity Statement

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty is required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Professions, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html

Critical Incident Management

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. Further information about most academic matters can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Undergraduate Class Schedule, and the Faculty-Employee Handbook.

Speak Effectively before an Audience (SPK)

Learning Outcomes for "Speak Effectively before an Audience"

1. Research a topic, develop an oral argument and organize supporting details.
2. Deliver a proficient and substantial oral presentation for the intended audience using appropriate media.
3. Evaluate oral presentations of others according to specific criteria.

Standards for "Speak Effectively before an Audience"

1. Courses or modules certified as providing oral communication practice must provide access to instruction in the methods of making a proficient oral presentation. Access might include referral to on-campus resources.
2. Certified oral communication experiences shall require students to make a substantial and graded oral presentation (e.g., 10-15 minutes) before a group.
3. Certified oral communication experiences shall have students evaluate other students' oral presentations using explicit criteria.
4. A certified experience shall achieve all three learning outcomes.
5. Although most programs will stipulate that the learning outcome will be completed in English, some programs could demonstrate that the requirement could be completed in an alternative language.

Speak Effectively before an Audience (SPK)

Learning Outcomes for "Speak Effectively before an Audience"

1. Research a topic, develop an oral argument and organize supporting details.
2. Deliver a proficient and substantial oral presentation for the intended audience using appropriate media.
3. Evaluate oral presentations of others according to specific criteria.

Standards for "Speak Effectively before an Audience"

1. Courses or modules certified as providing oral communication practice must provide access to instruction in the methods of making a proficient oral presentation. Access might include referral to on-campus resources.
2. Certified oral communication experiences shall require students to make a substantial and graded oral presentation (e.g., 10-15 minutes) before a group.
3. Certified oral communication experiences shall have students evaluate other students' oral presentations using explicit criteria.
4. A certified experience shall achieve all three learning outcomes.
5. Although most programs will stipulate that the learning outcome will be completed in English, some programs could demonstrate that the requirement could be completed in an alternative language.

Write Effectively within One's Discipline (WRTD)

Learning Outcomes for "Write Effectively within One's Discipline"

1. Collect the most pertinent evidence, draw appropriate disciplinary inferences, organize effectively for one's intended audience, and write in a confident voice using correct grammar and punctuation.

Standards for "Write Effectively within One's Discipline"

1. Produce written work congruent with the standards of one’s discipline
2. Complete one certified course that reinforces writing skills in the major discipline OR submit a portfolio of at least 15 pages of written work in the discipline, as determined by the department and certification committee.
3. Although most programs will stipulate that the learning outcome will be completed in English, some programs could demonstrate that the requirement could be completed in an alternative language.

Understand Relationships between Science or Technology and the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences (STAS)

Learning Outcomes for "Understand Relationships between Science or Technology and the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences"

1. Apply concepts and tools drawn from any field of study in order to understand the links between science or technology and the arts, humanities or social sciences.
2. Synthesize quantitative and/or technical information and qualitative information to make informed judgments about the reciprocal relationship between science or technology and the arts, humanities or social sciences.

Standards for "Understand Relationships between Science or Technology and the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences"

1. A certified course shall fulfill both learning outcomes. Certified courses will devote significant time to consideration of the consequences of science or technology for social, economic, ethical, moral, political, artistic, and/or other domains of experience.