Description
Book SynopsisA collection of 24 classroom modules (PSPs) produced by TRIUMPHS that incorporate the reading of primary source excerpts to teach core mathematical topics. The selected excerpts are intertwined with thoughtfully designed student tasks that prompt students to actively engage with and explore the source material.
Trade ReviewPrimary sources provide motivation in the words of the original discoverers of new mathematics, draw attention to subtleties, encourage reflection on today's paradigms, and enhance students' ability to participate equally, regardless of their background. These beautifully written primary source projects that adopt an ``inquiry'' approach are rich in features lacking in modern textbooks. Prompted by the study of historical sources, students will grapple with uncertainties, ask questions, interpret, conjecture, and compare multiple perspectives, resulting in a unique and vivid guided learning experience. -- David Pengelley, Oregon State University
Table of ContentsJ. H. Barnett, D. K. Ruch, and N. A. Scoville, Contents; Introduction: J. H. Barnett, D. K. Ruch, and N. A. Scoville, Teaching and Learning with Primary Source Projects; J. H. Barnett, D. K. Ruch, and N. A. Scoville, PSP Summaries: The Collection at a Glance; J. H. Barnett, Historical Overview; Real Analysis: J. H. Barnett, Why Be So Critical? Nineteenth-Century Mathematics and the Origins of Analysis; D. Ruch, Investigations into Bolzano's Bounded Set Theorem; M. P. Saclolo, Stitching Dedekind Cuts to Construct the Real Numbers; D. Ruch, Investigations into d'Alembert's Definition of Limit; D. Ruch, Bolzano on Continuity and the Intermediate Value Theorem; N. Somasunderam, Understanding Compactness: Early Work, Uniform Continuity to the Heine-Borel Theorem; D. Ruch, An Introduction to a Rigorous Definition of Derivative; J. H. Barnett, Rigorous Debates over Debatable Rigor: Monster Functions in Introductory Analysis; D. Ruch, The Mean Value Theorem; D. Ruch, Euler's Rediscovery of $e$; D. Ruch, Abel and Cauchy on a Rigorous Approach to Infinite Series; D. Ruch, The Definite Integrals of Cauchy and Riemann; J. H. Barnett, Henri Lebesgue and the Development of the Integral Concept; Topology: N. A. Scoville, The Cantor Set before Cantor; N. A. Scoville, Topology from Analysis; N. A. Scoville, Nearness without Distance; N. A. Scoville, Connectedness: Its Evolution and Applications; N. A. Scoville, Connecting Connectedness; N. A. Scoville, From Sets to Metric Spaces to Topological Spaces; N. A. Scoville, The Closure Operation as the Foundation of Topology; N. A. Scoville, A Compact Introduction to a Generalized Extreme Value Theorem; Complex Variables: D. Klyve, The Logarithm of $-1$; D. Ruch, Riemann's Development of the Cauchy-Riemann Equations; D. Ruch, Gauss and Cauchy on Complex Integration.
