Table of contents

Books, websites and timelines

Sourcebooks

Other books

Timelines of the history of mathematics

Other interesting websites

About the history of mathematics

Primary Sources

Ishango bone
Ishango bone - Photo credit MAA Convergence

Mathematics in Ancient Egypt

Primary Sources

Rhind Mathematical Papyrus
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus - Photo credit British Museum

Other materials

Links to use in class

Mathematics in Ancient Mesopotamia

Primary Sources

Note that you can drag and rotate the tablets above.

Other materials

How do do cuneiform writing

Mayan Mathematics

Primary Sources

Detail of Dresden Codex with Itzamná in the mouth of the celestial dragon
Detail of Dresden Codex with Itzamna in the mouth of the celestial dragon Lacambalam, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Other materials

Hellenic Mathematics

Primary Sources

Other materials

Euclid Elements: Links to use in class

  1. Bisection of an angle
  2. Construction an equilateral triangle in Geogebra.
  3. One Step in the Proof of Pythagoras' Theorem
  4. Another step of Euclid's proof of the Pythagorean Theorem
  5. Two apps( here and here) illustrating Euclid's proof of Pythagoras' Theorem
  6. Some of the many, many proofs of the Pythagorean theorem
  7. Youtube clip of the movie "Lincoln" (discussion of Euclid's Elements)
  8. Of Euclid and equality by Noam D. Elkies
  9. Morley Trisector theorem (1899!)
  10. Morley Trisector theorem once more (1899!)

About rigor and proofs

  1. Here you'll find a great discussion about the "proof" that all triangles are isosceles. Here you'll find a great video about it.

Archimedes, Apollonius, Erathostenes: Links to use in class

  1. Clip from the movie Agora
  2. Apollonius of Perga (~200BCE) Conic sections
  3. Parabola focus and directrix
  4. The parabola as a mirror
  5. Conic Sections - Apollonius
  6. Archimedes and the volume of the sphere I.
  7. Archimedes and the volume of the sphere II.
  8. Eratosthenes and the circumference of the earth

Ancient and Medieval Chinese Mathematics

Primary Sources

Zhoubi suanjing
Two pages are from the Zhoubi suanjing (Arithmetical Classic of the Gnomon and the Circular Paths of Heaven), a Chinese book on astronomy and mathematics dated to approximately 100 BCE. MAA Mathematical Treasures , via Wikimedia Commons

Other materials

Ancient and Medieval Indian Mathematics

Primary Sources

Bakhshali manuscript
Bakhshali manuscript, National Geographic, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Other materials

Mathematics in the Medieval Islamic World

Primary Sources

Image-Al-Kitāb al-muḫtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-ğabr wa-l-muqābala

Other materials

Mathematics in the Renaissance

Primary Sources

ArsMagna

Other materials

Calculus

Primary Sources

DifferentialTrianglePascal

Other materials

Mathematics and Computers

Primary Sources

Babbage difference engine drawing

Other materials

All the rest

Secondary Sources