Math 303, History of Mathematics
(7:25-8:40 MW in LA-4)


Final exam: 7-9 on Wed, 12/14 in our usual classroom. The final is comprehensive and will cover material up to and including Lecture 16. We did not do Lectures 10 and 14. Here is a list of review topics to help you prepare for the final.

Office hours during exam week: 4-5:30 Mon (12/12), 4:30-6 Wed (12/14), 12-1:30 Thu (12/15), 10:30-11:30 F (12/16).

Syllabus: Here is the syllabus.

Online resources:
 Homework:

Assigned
 Due date Read
 Exercises
8/29
Lectures 1-3
 No exercises yet.
8/31
 9/12
 Lectures 1-3
 1.6-8, 10
2.5
Turn in on 9/12: 2.4 (Hint: there is a formula for the area of a triangle in terms of two sides and the angle between them. If you don't know this formula, look it up somewhere. Now find four triangles in the quadrilateral such that the sum of their areas is twice the area of the quadrilateral.)
Turn in on 9/14: Give a proof of Thales' Theorem different from the ones given in class.
9/12
 9/19
 Lectures 4, 5
 2.9
3.2, 5
4.4, 10
9/19
 9/26
 Lectures 6, 7
 4.5, 7
5.3, 5, 6
Turn in on 9/19: Construct the square root of 5 by constructing--with straight edge and compass--a right triangle whose altitude corresponding to the hypotenuse splits the hypotenuse into line segments of length 1 and 5.
9/26
 10/3
 Lectures 6, 7 4.8
5.1b, 2, 7, 10
By class on 9/28, have a 72o-72o-36o triangle constructed in your notes. You don't have to turn it in, but this is where we will start class on Wed.
Turn in on 10/3: Prove that the usual way of constructing a right angle by bisecting a straight angle does indeed construct a right angle.
10/3
 10/10
 Lecture 7 Homework holiday. Prepare for the upcoming exam.
10/10
 10/17
 Lectures 7, 8 5.6
6.2-4, 7
Turn in on 10/17: 6.1ab
10/17
 10/24
 Lectures 8, 9
 7.1, 5, 7, 9
8.1
Turn in on 10/24: 6.1c
10/24
 10/31
 Ch 4 in Journey through Genius,
Lectures 9, 11
 8.4, 8, 9
Turn in on 10/31: 8.8b including a step-by-step description of your construction. You don't need to prove your construction works at this time.
10/31
 11/7
 Ch 4 in Journey through Genius,
Lectures 9, 11
 Homework holiday. Prepare for the upcoming exam.
11/7
 11/14
 Ch 4 in Journey through Genius, Lectures 9, 11
 8.10
9.1, 7, 10
11/14
 11/21
 Lectures 11, 12
 11.2-4, 5ab, 8
Turn in on 11/21: 11.8ab
11/21
 11/28
 Lectures 13, 15
 11.6, 9
12.1, 2, 6
11/28
 12/5
 Lectures 16, 19
 13.4, 6ab, 9
15.2, 3, 8
Turn in on 12/5: 15.4a

Exam solutions:
 The Putnam Competition: This is not strictly related to this course. The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition will be held on Sat, Dec 3 this year. It is administered locally at the Calexico campus. The exercises primarily test your ability to construct rigorous mathematical arguments to solve (difficult) unfamiliar problems and not lexical knowledge. If you like proofs and enjoy the challenge of thinking about such problems, I encourage you to sign up for the competition.  Here is an archive of past exercises and solutions. Send me an e-mail by 5 PM on Mon, Oct 10 if you would like to sign up. It is of course free.

Educational links:
Math links: The links below lead to sites with encyclopedias of math terms.  You can use them to find definitions, examples, and some theorems.
Some scholarship opportunities for prospective teachers: