It was John Stillwell's well-taken point that the mathematics would
be interesting if "mathematics" were really what was taught and not
the packaged, unintegrated courses that are so typical. That is,
it is very odd that mathematical courses typically present a canned
subject matter. Where things get interesting to anyone with a brain
is when a theme is developed, as for example an idea is developed
and explored, and the students learn needed canned mathematics as the
development of the theme or idea requires or is significantly helped
by the canned mathematics. The development of the theme may be inspired
or fed by the "actual" history, how it did develop. But this is not
particularly necessary.
Robert Tragesser
(Dry)West(running)brook, Connecticut