What this course is about

Learning outcomes

• Identify and compare major mathematical contributions across cultures, and explain their influence on later developments.
• Solve mathematical problems using historical methods, and reflect on how these approaches differ from modern techniques.
• Analyze how different societies developed core mathematical concepts such as number, space, and measurement, in order to deepen understanding of their meaning and significance.
• Evaluate the credibility of historical and mathematical sources using appropriate criteria.
• Successful completion of MAT 336 with a C or better satisfies DEC H and the expository portion of the upper-division writing requirement for the mathematics major, as well as the SPK, STAS, and WRTD objectives of the Stony Brook Curriculum.

Additional goals of your instructor.

• Assist you in removing your 21st century local glasses and in looking at the math world of ideas with new eyes.
• Share with you some of the beauty of mathematics which can be found specially in the most basic ideas.

Course Info

Meeting times and place

• LEC 01 — Tu-Th 3:30–4:50pm - Physics P117
• LEC 02 — Mo-We 5:00–6:20pm - Physics P130

Instructors (click on name for office hours and office location)

• Moira Chas - Instructor, Lecture 1
• Nils Hemmingsson - Instructor, Lecture 2
• Chloe Book - Grader Lecture 1
• Jay Sarju - Grader Lecture 2

Course Schedules

Course Schedules: Lecture 1 schedule is here and Lecture 2 here.

Communication

• Check your Stony Brook email and Brightspace regularly for announcements and updates.
• If you miss class or assignments: Use the missed work form. Do not email us to report absences or ask what you missed. We use the form responses when calculating grades and cannot guarantee that emailed reports will be recorded.
• Missed class content: Ask a classmate for notes and what was covered. This is both your responsibility and an important professional skill. (Note: Your instructor is not a classmate.)
• For questions about grading or late work, contact the grader first.
• Contact the SASC office to document accommodation needs.
• Email response time: 1–3 business days for course questions that are not answered in the syllabus. For grading/late work → contact grader. For absences → use form. For missed content → ask classmates.
• If a circumstance affects your ability to participate in the course, you are welcome (but not required) to contact us. The earlier, the better.
• Constructive feedback is always appreciated by your instructors.

Course materials

• There is no required textbook. You are encouraged to explore additional materials—books, articles, videos, and activities—many of which are collected on the links page. If you’re interested in a particular topic, feel free to ask us for suggestions.

Assessment

People learn in different ways, so we’ll work in different formats. It may feel like a lot now, but if you bring interest and effort, it will feel manageable by mid-semester.

• Quizzes: Quizzes are given in class at the beginning of class on the dates listed in the course schedule (Lecture 1 or Lecture 2). They are based on class material and are designed to check understanding. Study guidance questions will be posted a week before each quiz.
• Participation: Includes asking questions about course material (in class, office hours, or email), answering questions from your instructor or classmates, and bringing focus and effort to class activities.
• Wooclap polls and questions: These are answered on your device during class. You earn credit for thoughtful responses—not correctness. Random or off-topic replies may not count. In some cases (announced in class), you may answer “I do not have time.” You must be present in class to receive credit. Answering remotely or having someone else answer for you is academic dishonesty and will be reported to the academic judiciary.
  These responses count toward your grade because they reflect your engagement and help guide our learning.
• Presentation: You’ll present on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor. If you are not ready to present on the scheduled day (Lecture 1 or Lecture 2) without a documented reason, 20% will be deducted.
  More info: presentation rubric and guidelines.
• Presentation Slides: Submit your slides by the scheduled date (Lecture 1 or Lecture 2).
  Details are in the slide rubric and guidelines.
• Paper Preparation: Includes submitting a first draft with citations (500 words) and 4 progressive drafts (750, 1000, 1250, 1500 words). Deadlines are listed in the course schedule (Lecture 1 or Lecture 2). See Draft 1 guidelines and Drafts 2-5 guidelines.
• Paper: You'll write a 1500-word paper on the same topic as your presentation.
  See the paper rubric and guidelines and schedule (Lecture 1 or Lecture 2) for due date.

Late Work Policy

Quizzes: Quizzes are given in class and cannot be made up. If you miss a quiz due to a documented emergency, use the missed work form and your quiz grade will be rebalanced across the remaining quizzes.

You may use one “life happens” pass during the semester to submit any paper preparation step up to 4 days late—no questions asked—just notify the grader.

For other late work:

• Up to 2 days late: 10% penalty
• 3–4 days late: 20% penalty
• More than 4 days late: not accepted unless you have a documented emergency.

If you know in advance that something will interfere with your ability to meet a deadline, please talk to me. I’m happy to work with you when possible—but only if we make a plan before the deadline.

Math Point

Math Point: One specific mathematical idea related to your topic that you understand and can explain clearly. It doesn't have to be complicated or technical—but it should be something you understand inside out. It may be:

• a historical problem and its solution
• a method or proof
• a concept or definition explained clearly

Examples of math points:

• Combinations and binomial coefficients in Pascal's Traité du triangle arithmétique
• Liu Hui's work on calculating the volume of a sphere

Grades

This course focuses on learning, but here’s how your final grade will be calculated. Grades are spread across many types of assignments, many of which are low-stakes.

Your Wooclap grade is based on the in-class answers in the interactive platform Wooclap. Use the missed work form if you miss class for a documented reason.

Important: The presentation and paper are required to pass this course. If either is missing, you will not receive a C or better.

Grade Breakdown

What	%	Notes
Paper	15%	1500-word paper on same topic as presentation
Draft 1 (500 words)	5%	Focus: working with citations
Drafts 2-5	5%	Steps supporting your final paper (750→1000→1250→1500 words)
Presentation	20%	In-class presentation on assigned topic
Slides	5%	Presentation slides
Quizzes	30%	Divided equally among all quizzes
Wooclap	15%	In-class interactive responses
Class Participation	5%	Asking questions, engaging with material, showing consistent engagement and effort

Each quiz counts equally toward your quiz grade, and each draft counts equally toward your draft grade, regardless of point values on individual assignments. Grades may be standardized to maximize fairness across all assignments.

Course description

Description: A survey of the history of mathematics from the beginnings through the 19th century, with special attention to primary sources and to the interactions between culture and mathematics. Emphasis on topics germane to the high school curriculum. Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek mathematics; non-European mathematics; early Renaissance mathematics; the birth and flowering of calculus; the beginnings of probability theory; and the origin of non-euclidean geometries and the modern concept of number.
Prerequisite: MAT 200 or MAT 203 or MAT 250 or AMS 261.
DEC: H
SBCL SBC: SPK,STAS,WRTD
Credits: 3

Accessibility, Academic Integrity and Critical Incident Management.

Student Accessibility Support Center Statement

If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, Stony Brook Union Suite 107, (631) 632-6748, or at [email protected]. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and the Student Accessibility Support Center. For procedures and information go to the following website: https://ehs.stonybrook.edu/programs/fire-safety/emergency-evacuation/evacuation-guide-disabilities and search Fire Safety and Evacuation and Disabilities.

Academic Integrity Statement

Academic Integrity Statement

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty is required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Professions, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html

Critical Incident Management

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. Further information about most academic matters can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Undergraduate Class Schedule, and the Faculty-Employee Handbook.

Speak Effectively before an Audience (SPK)

Learning Outcomes for "Speak Effectively before an Audience"

1. Research a topic, develop an oral argument and organize supporting details.
2. Deliver a proficient and substantial oral presentation for the intended audience using appropriate media.
3. Evaluate oral presentations of others according to specific criteria.

Standards for "Speak Effectively before an Audience"

1. Courses or modules certified as providing oral communication practice must provide access to instruction in the methods of making a proficient oral presentation. Access might include referral to on-campus resources.
2. Certified oral communication experiences shall require students to make a substantial and graded oral presentation (e.g., 10-15 minutes) before a group.
3. Certified oral communication experiences shall have students evaluate other students' oral presentations using explicit criteria.
4. A certified experience shall achieve all three learning outcomes.
5. Although most programs will stipulate that the learning outcome will be completed in English, some programs could demonstrate that the requirement could be completed in an alternative language.

Write Effectively within One's Discipline (WRTD)

Learning Outcomes for "Write Effectively within One's Discipline"

1. Collect the most pertinent evidence, draw appropriate disciplinary inferences, organize effectively for one's intended audience, and write in a confident voice using correct grammar and punctuation.

Standards for "Write Effectively within One's Discipline"

1. Produce written work congruent with the standards of one’s discipline
2. Complete one certified course that reinforces writing skills in the major discipline OR submit a portfolio of at least 15 pages of written work in the discipline, as determined by the department and certification committee.
3. Although most programs will stipulate that the learning outcome will be completed in English, some programs could demonstrate that the requirement could be completed in an alternative language.

Understand Relationships between Science or Technology and the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences (STAS)

Learning Outcomes for "Understand Relationships between Science or Technology and the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences"

1. Apply concepts and tools drawn from any field of study in order to understand the links between science or technology and the arts, humanities or social sciences.
2. Synthesize quantitative and/or technical information and qualitative information to make informed judgments about the reciprocal relationship between science or technology and the arts, humanities or social sciences.

Standards for "Understand Relationships between Science or Technology and the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences"

1. A certified course shall fulfill both learning outcomes. Certified courses will devote significant time to consideration of the consequences of science or technology for social, economic, ethical, moral, political, artistic, and/or other domains of experience.