I am a math major, and my school requires me to take a course called “Mathematical Perspectives.” I have heard that it is somewhat of a math history course. I have heard that a lot of schools require math majors to take a math history course. For you math majors, did your school offer or require a math history course?
It sounds cool!
I wish my school offered something so interesting-sounding! I don’t think anything like that is required at my school since I only know of one science history course.
Yes, I had to take one for my math degree at SMU. Loved it!
UC Berkeley has Math 160 - History of Math which can be used as a History GE breadth class. Looks pretty interesting, not offered for fall semester though.
I wish my daughter, the history major, could take that rather than her required math course. She might actually get something out of it instead of the dread she has with the one she has to take. The only thing getting her through this is that there are people even worse than she is in the class. The drop/add day was last week and half the class disappeared.
A math history course may have substantial mathematical content. For example, UCB Math 160 mentioned in reply #4 has prerequisites of 53 (multivariable calculus), 54 (linear algebra and differential equations), and 113 (abstract algebra), which are more advanced math courses than what most history majors take.
http://guide.berkeley.edu/courses/math/
Well that’s not fair. If the math majors get credit for a history course, the history majors should get credit for a math course.
Wow, I always find myself pondering questions of mathematical equations and why they are done a certain way and have certain principles to them. That sort of course could answer some of my questions.