MAT 505 — History of Mathematics
The course follows the growth of mathematics from its empirical nature in Egypt and Babylonia to its deductive character in ancient Greece wherein the roots of the calculus will be identified. The concept of number and the development of algebra, with Hindu, Arabic and medieval contributions are discussed. The rise of analytic geometry, the calculus, and the function concept are examined. Finally, the trend towards greater rigor and abstraction is considered including formal axiomatic systems and Godel's Incompleteness Theorem.