[HM] A threaded history of mathematics
Robert Tragesser (RTragesser@compuserve.com)
Thu, 27 May 1999 10:28:50 -0400
John Stillwell's S-V book MATHEMATICS AND ITS HISTORY comes as
close as any textbook I know of to presenting a "threaded history". I
think its focus on elliptic functions/curves marvellous.
It is worthwhile remarking that Stillwell prefaces the book by
observing that "One of the disappointments experienced by most
mathematics students is that they never get a course in mathematics.
They get courses in calculus, algebra, topology, and so on, but ..."
Indeed, given the standard mathematics curricula, it is
increasingly surprising that there are "maths majors" at all, for only
rarely indeed do students come into contact with genuine, powerhouse
mathematical thinking rather than its killed and canned products which
must put off anyone who loves to think, really think. Stillwell shows
how in a sense easy it would be to restore the presence of thought to
teaching mathematics. (In this spirit, see the stunning Japanese, WHO
IS FOURIER?; it's Fourier Analysis for children... a kind of Suzuki
method. It shows, I think, how wonderful, stimulating, and
powerful teaching a piece of genuine mathematical thinking can be...
following a thread... what a joyful, pleasing, and stimulating way
to learn the rudiments of the calculus, in contrast to those
monstrously hideous infinitely boring soul-deadening courses Calculus I,
II, whose very presence in our colleges and universities discloses to
what extent thought and understanding are marginalized in our
educational institutions. [I'm not eccentric on this score, see, for
example, Howard Gardner's new book, DISCIPLINED MINDS.))
robert tragesser
west(running)brook, connecticut