What this course is about

Learning outcomes

• Understand the mathematical progress starting from what we know about the beginning of mathematics, continuing with ancient cultures such as Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, China, India and the Islamic world, the European Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and finishing the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe and the Americas;
• Solve mathematical problems from the societies under study in the way these problems were solved at the time. Comprehend mathematical primary sources from different periods.
• 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

• This course is delivered in person (in persons with masks), Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:45am to 11:05am in Physics, 130.
• The instructor of this course is (as you probably know) Moira Chas. Click for her zoom link, office hours, and even more. The email address is the stonybrook.edu one.
• The grader of this course is Molly Heneghan (Mollys' office hours are Thursdays from 11- 12:30 (in Zoom ) and on Mondays in person from 1- 2:30 in person in a study room NG1A on the first floor of the North Reading Room in the library during the second and third weeks of the semester.
• The course schedule lists what topics were covered (or are planned), as well as all the course assignments and deadlines.

Communication

• Please remember to read and reply to your Stony Brook email and check Blackboard regularly. I recommend checking for announcements at least once a day.
• About emailing me: I am here to support and guide you. This includes answering all your relevant questions (I am a fan of questions and encourage you to ask them). However, in order to help the whole class, I ask you to email me if and only if you have a question that you need to ask privately. In that case, by all means, email me. For all other questions or comments, please use the Blackboard discussion form.
• I am committed to providing an inclusive learning environment and to giving every student the opportunity to succeed in this course. If you encounter a circumstance that affects you ability to participate in this course, you are welcome (but not required) to contact me to discuss your specific issue. Please be aware that certain problems can be dealt with better if we tackle them early.
• I encourage you to contact the SASC office if you need accommodations. SASC can help you document your needs and create an accommodation plan.
• The course schedule lists what topics were covered (or are planned), as well as all the course assignments and deadlines.
• Constructive feedback is welcomed by me.

Course materials

• This course is delivered in person (in persons with masks), Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:45am to 11:05am in Physics, 130.
• The instructor of this course is (as you probably know) Moira Chas. Click for her email address, zoom link, office hours, and even more
• The grader of this course is Molly Henegan (office hours coming soon).
• The course schedule lists what topics were covered (or are planned), as well as all the course assignments and deadlines.

Assessment

You probably noticed by now that minds and learning styles come in very diverse format. With that in mind, in this class, we will work in very diverse formats. All our activities might be a bit too much to digest in one syllabus reading, but you will be quite comfortable with all of them by the middle of the semester, if you put interest and effort in this course.

• Class polls and questions: During the class we will use Slido. I will ask open questions, which you will be able to answer in any gadget with a Web Browser (smart phone, laptop, tablet). These questions will not be graded for "correctness"; that is, you will earn one point for each answer you provide. I read the answers to see how is the understanding of the class going. All questions are designed to make you think, and help you learn.
• Homework: There will be six homework problems sets, due on (some) Thursdays. These problems will be posted on the schedule While you are encourage to discuss homework problems with your classmates, (and of course ask about them in the office hours) your write-up must be your own. In particular, you are is not allowed to "cut and paste" content from the internet. Make sure your work is legible and understandable. Otherwise, the grader will have to return it without grading. Write in complete sentences. Each homework assignment appears on the schedule on the date it is due.
• Quizzes: There will be five quizzes, modeled after questions of the homework.
• Class Participation: You can participate in the class by asking questions, answering questions, posting in the discussion board, working on the class activities, informing me of a broken link in the course website,... (We will work in many different activities in many forms (individual, in group, using technology, doing origami, etc).)
• Presentation: You (and all the other students) will give a 10 minutes presentation. We will discuss the topic distribution on the first week of classes. In the schedule, there is a suggested paper about each topic. You do not have to use this paper if it does not "click" with you, but regardless of whether your use it or not, you must find other sources of information. More details will be available soon. Here is the rubric.
• Presentation Evaluation: After each presentation, each student (including the presenter) will fill a presentation evaluation form.
• Paper: You (and all the other students) will write a 2500 words paper on the same topic as your presentation. Here are guidelines and the rubric of the paper.

Abstract, outline and math point

• The abstract is a short summary (about 200 words) of the material.
• The outline describes the structure of the paper or the presentation. In other words, it is the skeleton of the paper. Your paper should be divided into sections, the title of those sections form the outline.
• The "math point" is a purely mathematical aspect of the topic which is mastered by you. This math point can be, for instance, the solution of a problem, or 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 point 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
  • Analogues of Pythagorean Theorem with the areas of different shapes, for instance squares, triangles and trapezoids.

You have one "life happens" late pass that allows you to complete ONE homework set up to four days after the deadline, no questions asked. Simply inform the Molly, our TA.

Grades

While the goal of this course is learning, you might have some curiosity about how I will calculate your final grades. If so, please read the table below. Note that the grade is distributed in many different types of assignments, many of then at "low stake".

What	% of the grade	Individual %
HW 0	1%	1%
Homework	12% (divided equally among all homework)	2% each problem set
Quizzes	12% (divided equally among all quizzes)	2.4% each quiz
Slido Answers	20% (1 point per question answered)	0.1% each question approx.
Presentation evaluation	5% (1 point per 1 question answered)	0.04% each question approx.
Presentation	20%	20%
Paper	25%	25%
Class participation	5%	5%%

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 having four quizzes instead of five, I will balance the graded accordingly.

• Depending on the number of problems on a set, the grader will grade selected ones, and mark the others for completion.
• The main point of Slido questions, forms, deadlines and class activities is encouraging you to think and learn, not to evaluate. All this activities also help me to gauge your understanding.

Where is what in the cyberspace.

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 Technology & Management, 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. Until/unless the latest COVID guidance is explicitly amended by SBU, during Spring 2022 "disruptive behavior” will include refusal to wear a mask during classes. (If the syllabus is in print only, then add:) For the latest COVID guidance, please refer to: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/strongertogether/latest.php 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.