Author Description

"This textbook grew out of the conviction that both prospective school teachers of mathematics and prospective college teachers of mathematics need a background in history to teach the subject more effectively. It is therefore designed for junior or senior mathematics majors who intend to teach in college or high school, and it concentrates on the history of those topics typically covered in an undergraduate curriculum or in elementary or high school. Because the history of any given mathematical topic often provides excellent ideas for teaching the topic, there is sufficient detail in each explanation of a new concept for the future (or present) teacher of mathematics to develop a classroom lesson or series of lessons based on history. In fact, many of the problems ask readers to develop a particular lesson. My hope is that students and prospective teachers will gain from this book a knowledge of how we got here from there, a knowledge that will provide a deeper understanding of many of the important concepts of mathematics"--