MATH 304
Mathematics History

A big question that is discussed in mathematics is: Is math discovered or invented?   By taking History of Mathematics, I truly believe that math is discovered.  In this course, I was able to review math concepts previously learned, but also learn about how they were developed in different time periods and used in certain cultures.  For example, the concept that division is the inverse of multiplication was discovered in ancient Egypt due to how their scrolls kept inventory by practicing doubling.  I thoroughly enjoyed this class because I will teach many of the math topics discussed, and I will be able to tell my students where these ideas originated from and how they developed over time to become how we think about mathematics today.   

One of the reasons I found this class so engaging is because we were able to learn about how culture, economics, politics and religion all affected who was practicing math, how they were practicing, and why they were developing different mathematical skills.  With all this in mind my enhancement project focused on the development of mathematics in the Middle Ages between three different religions (Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism).  What I had found is that the different intellectual findings whether in astronomy, engineering, or mathematics findings mixed with the competition for power among rulers and different religious groups made the Middle Ages the catalyst of the Renaissance.  In addition, I related to it to how this is a timeless occurrence that we see throughout history.  For example, the Age of Exploration and the Space Race.