Great Discoveries in Mathematics

From RealCTY
Revision as of 13:26, 20 November 2018 by Lukepf04 (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Great Discoveries in Mathematics
Mathematics Course
Course CodeHMAT
Year Opened1998
Sites OfferedLOS, SRF
Previously OfferedPAL
Part of a series on
Realcty logo 20060831.png
CTY Courses
Category · Template · CAA Courses
Sites
Bristol · Collegeville · Los Angeles · San Rafael · Santa Cruz
Alexandria · Baltimore · La Jolla · New York · Portola Valley · Sandy Spring · Venice · Baltimore (MSC)
Humanities
Model United Nations and Advanced Geography
The Ancient World
Journeys and Explorations
Big Questions
Writing
Being a Reader, Becoming a Writer
Heroes and Villains
Writing Workshop: Modern Fantasy
Behind the Mask: Superheroes Revealed
Math
Math Problem Solving · Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
Geometry and Spatial Sense
Great Discoveries in Mathematics
Numbers: Zero to Infinity
Data and Chance · Introduction to Robotics
Science
Marine Ecology · The Physics of Engineering
Inventions · Examining the Evidence
Through the Microscope · The Sensory Brain
The Edible World · Crystals and Polymers
Be a Scientist! · Cloudy with a Chance of Science
One Week Courses
Toyology · Science Spoilers · Space: To Infinity and Beyond
Defunct Courses
World Folklore and Mythology
Colonial America · Civil War Studies
The Middle Ages · The Renaissance
Worlds in Motion
Railroads: Connecting 19th-Century America · Pirates: History and Culture
The Olympics
Chinese · French · Spanish
The Art of Writing: Process and Product · Elements of Drama
Writing Workshop: Where Art Meets Science
Stories and Poems
Writing Workshop: Images and Text
Animal Behavior · Flight Science
Forest Ecology · Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils
Meteorology · Bugs and Butterflies
Dynamic Earth · Bay Ecology II

Course Description

From the CTY Course Catalog (1999):

From ancient to modern times, math has been fundamental to the development of science, engineering, and philosophy. In this course, students consider the math questions and problems that have fascinated humans across cultures since the beginning of recorded history. Additionally, students cover topics in sufficient mathematical depth to complete the class with not only an understanding of the historical development of major mathematical ideas, but also a solid background in mathematical concepts they will encounter in more advanced course work.

Throughout the course, students examine the role of math in early cultures including the Egyptians, Africans, Greeks, Mayans, Asians, and Babylonians. They work through problems discovered in ancient mathematical documents, such as the Rhind Papyrus, the Plimpton 322 tablet, and the Rosetta Stone. Additionally, students examine the history of mathematical concepts from their roots to modern day applications. For example, students trace the irrational number pi, from its approximated value of three in the Bible, to its computer-calculated value of a billion digits in the 1990s. After tracing pi’s history, students identify and solve problems using pi, discovering some of the many ways it is applied in geometry and other mathematical disciplines. Students leave the course with a greater awareness of a wide range of topics within mathematics, including arithmetic, number theory, algebra, and geometry.