History of Mathematics

A Guide to Doing
Research in HSU Library

Before beginning your research project, it is recommended that you think about how comprehensive your research must be, how current your sources of information need to be, and your intended audience's level of expertise. Then define your research topic as specifically as possible and don't be afraid to refine your topic as you learn more about it. Suggested guidelines for doing library research follow and may be adapted to fit your needs.

How do I find background information on my topic?
How do I find books on my topic?
How do I find articles on my topic?: Mathematics Indexes; History Indexes; Biography Indexes
Another way to research -- via citations!
Does the Library have the item I need?
If the Library doesn't have the item, where can I get it?
What about resources on the Internet/WWW?
Critically evaluate the information you find

How do I find background information on my topic?

Reference Materials

Reference materials can provide you with background information, major theories or researchers, and definitions of key terms. You may search the HSU Library Catalog and limit your search to items to the Reference Collection including electronic reference. Some of the reference sources in HSU Library are listed below:

General

Encyclopedia Britannica Online includes Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary)

CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics. 2nd ed., Boca Raton : Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2003. (ref QA 5 W45 2003)

Mathematical Society of Japan. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mathematics. 2nd ed., Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1987. (ref QA 5 I8313 1987) - 4 volume set

Biographical Information (Note: Bio-base is a microfiche index to "biographical sketches found in ... current and retrospective biographical dictionaries." It is located in the blue filing cabinets near the first floor reference desk.)

American Men and Women of Science: Physical and Biological Sciences. 12th-22nd editions. NY: Bowker, 1971-2005. (ref CT 213 A4) - Earlier editions (1944-65) are in book collection (second floor, south) (CT 213 A4) - indexed in Bio-base

Biographical Dictionary of American Science: the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1979. (Ref Q 141 E37) Scope: birthdates 1606-1867 - indexed in Bio-base

Biographical Encyclopedia of Mathematicians. New York : Marshall Cavendish, c1999. (Ref QA 28 B544 1999)

Dictionary of Scientific Biography. NY: Scribner, 1970-. (Ref Q 141 D5) - indexed in Bio-base

McGraw-Hill Modern Scientists and Engineers. NY: McGraw-Hill, 1980. (Ref Q 141 M15 1980) - indexed in Bio-base

National Academy of Sciences. Biographical Memoirs. Washington: National Academy of Sciences. (Q 141 N2) Series of volumes containing biographies of deceased members of the National Academy of Sciences and bibliographies of their published scientific contributions. (Library has vol. 26-82.) - Latest volume has cumulative index for entire series. Several volumes are available online - see HSU Library Catalog for links.

Poggendorff, J.C. J.C. Poggendorf's Biographisch - Literarisches Handworterbuch fur Mathematik, Astronomie, Physik mit Geophysik, Chemie, Kristallographie und verwandte Wissensgebiete. Leipzig: J.A. Barth, 1863-. (Ref Q141 P64) Authoritative German language handbook series. Full biographical information and published works of mathematicians and other physical science scientists of all countries. Article titles are cited in the language in which they were published.

Young, Robyn V. Notable Mathematicians : From Ancient Times to the Present. Detroit: Gale, 1998. (Ref QA 28 N66 1998)

History of Science and Mathematics

Grattan-Guinness, I., ed. Companion Encyclopedia of the History and Philosophy of the Mathematical Sciences. London: Routledge, 1994. (Ref QA 21 C645 1994) - 2 volume set

ISIS Cumulative Bibliography: A Bibliography of the History of Science. London: Mansell, 1971- Coverage: 6 volume set covers 1913-65 (ref Q 125 I85); 2 volume set covers 1966-75 (ref Q 125 I852); 2 volume set covers 1976-85 (ref Q 125 I853 1989); 4 volume set covers 1986-95 (ref Q 125 I853 1997)

Parkinson, Claire L. Breakthroughs : A Chronology of Great Achievements in Science and Mathematics, 1200-1930. Boston, MA : G.K. Hall, 1985. (Ref Q125 P327 1985)

Women in Science and Mathematics (Note: Bio-base is a microfiche index to "biographical sketches found in ... current and retrospective biographical dictionaries." It is located in the blue filing cabinets near the first floor reference desk.)

Grinstein, Louise and Campbell, Paul J., eds. Women of Mathematics: A Biobibliographic Sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1987. (Ref QA 28 W66 1987) - indexed in Bio-base

McGrayne, Sharon Bertsch. Nobel Prize Women in Science: Their Lives, Struggles, and Momentous Discoveries. Seacaucus NJ: Carol Pub. Group, 1998. (Ref Q 141 M358 1998) - also available online

Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey. The biographical dictionary of women in science : pioneering lives from ancient times to the mid-20th century. New York : Routledge, 2000. (Ref Q141 B5285 2000) - 2 volumes

Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey. Women in Science: Antiquity Through the Nineteenth Century. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1986. (Ref Q 141 034 1986) - Brief biographical sketches followed by references to the annotated bibliography - indexed in Bio-base.

Siegel, Patricia Joan and Finley, Kay Thomas. Women in the Scientific Search: An American Bio-bibliography, 1724-1979. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1985. (Ref Q 141 S54) Has a chapter on mathematicians.

Yount, Lisa. A to Z of Women in Science and Math. New York, NY : Facts on File, c1999. (Ref Q 141 Y675 1999)

How do I find out if the Library has books on my topic?

HSU Library Catalog is the guide to books, periodicals and media in the HSU Library. United States government documents prior to 1998 and California state documents prior to 1999 are not listed in HSU Library Catalog.

If you are not looking for a particular book or if you do not know the author or title, you must look by subject. The best way to search for a subject is by Basic Search (Keyword) or Advanced Search (Keyword Anywhere). Brainstorm and use synonyms to describe your topic. When you find one really good book on your topic, look at the subject heading(s) in the record for that book and click on the link(s) to find other books on that same subject.
If you browse the shelves around the book you want, you may find other books of interest. This is because the Library of Congress classification system used in HSU Library is based on the subject of the book.
Books tend to treat a subject in depth but are generally not the most current source of information, especially in the rapidly changing areas of science and medicine.
Periodicals are usually the most current sources of research information in printed form. However, periodical articles are not indexed in HSU Library Catalog. One must use indexes/abstracts/databases to find articles on your topic.

Selected books in the history of mathematics are listed below. This list does not attempt to include books on the history of specific topics within mathematics, for example, geometry or differential equations. Use the HSU Library Catalog to find books on specific topics of interest.

General Histories

Anglin, W.S. Mathematics: A Concise History and Philosophy. NY: Springer-Verlag, 1994. (QA 21 A54 1994)

Ball, Walter W.R. A Short Account of the History of Mathematics. NY: Dover, 1960. (QA 21 B18 1960) Reprint of 1908 edition.

Bell, Eric T. The Development of Mathematics. NY: McGraw-Hill, 1940. (QA 21 B4)

Boyer, Carl B. History of Mathematics. Second edition. NY: Wiley, 1989. (QA 21 B767 1989) (We also have 1968 edition - QA 21 B767)

Burton, David M. The History of Mathematics : An Introduction. Boston : WCB McGraw-Hill, c1999. (QA 21 B96 1999)

Cajori, Florian A. A History of Mathematical Notations. La Salle, IL: The Open Court Pub. Co., 1928-29. (QA 21 C135)

Cajori, Florian A. History of Mathematics. Fourth edition. NY: Chelsea, 1985. (QA 21 C15 1985)

Calinger, Ronald, ed. Classics of Mathematics. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1995. (QA 21 C55 1995) An anthology of selected writings of leading mathematicians from classical antiquity through the early twentieth century.

Campbell-Kelly, Martin. The History of Mathematical Tables : From Sumer to Spreadsheets. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2003. (QA 47 .H57 2003)

Cooke, Roger. The History of Mathematics : A Brief Course. Second edition. New York : Wiley, c2005. (QA 21 C649 2005)

Dunham, William. The Mathematical Universe: An Alphabetical Journey through the Great Proofs, Problems, and Personalities. NY: Wiley & Sons, 1994. (QA 21 D785 1994)

Eagle, M. Ruth. Exploring Mathematics through History. New York : Cambridge University Press, 1995. (QA 21 E24 1995)

Eves, Howard. An Introduction to the History of Mathematics. Sixth edition. Philadelphia: Saunders College Pub., c1990. (QA 21 E8 1990)

From Kant to Hilbert : A Source Book in the Foundations of Mathematics. Compiled by William Ewald. New York : Oxford University Press, 1999. (QA 8.6 F77 1999) - 2 volume set

Grattan-Guinness, Ivor. The Norton History of the Mathematical Sciences : The Rainbow of Mathematics. New York : W.W. Norton, 1998. (QA 21 G695 1998)

Gray, Jeremy. Worlds Out of Nothing : a Course in the History of Geometry in the 19th Century. New York ; London : Springer, 2007. (QA 443.5 .G73 2007)

Hawking, S.W. (Stephen W.) God Created the Integers : the Mathematical Breakthroughs that Changed History. Philadelphia, PA. : Running Press, c2005. (QA 21 G63 2005)

Joseph, George G. The Crest of the Peacock: the Non-European Roots of Mathematics. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 2000. (QA 21 J684 2000)

Kenschaft, Patricia C. Change is Possible : Stories of Women and Minorities in Mathematics. Providence, R.I. : American Mathematical Society, c2005. (QA 10.5 .K46 2005)

Lanczos, Cornelius. Space Through the Ages: The Evolution of Geometrical Ideas from Pythagoras to Hilbert and Einstein. London: Academic Press, 1970. (QA 21 L28)

McLeish, John. Number. NY: Fawcett Columbine, 1992. (QA 21 M38 1992)

Mikami, Yoshio. The Development of Mathematics in China and Japan. NY: Chelsea, 1961. (QA 27 C5 M5 1961) - Reprint of the 1913 edition.

Motz, Lloyd. The Story of Mathematics. NY: Plenum Press, 1993. (QA 21 M846 1993)

Stillwell, John. Mathematics and Its History. Second edition. NY: Springer, 2002. (QA 21 S84 2002)

Swetz, Frank, ed. From Five Fingers to Infinity : A Journey through the History of Mathematics. Chicago : Open Court, c1994. (QA 21 F76 1994)

Wilson, Alistair Macintosh. The Infinite in the Finite. New York : Oxford University Press, 1995. (QA 21 W385 1995)

Young, L.C. Mathematicians and Their Times: History of Mathematics and Mathematics of History. NY: Elsevier North-Holland, 1981. (QA 21 Y68)

Special Periods

Dantzig, Tobias. The Bequest of the Greeks. NY: Scribner, 1955. (QA 22 D3 1971)

Dilke, Oswald A.W. Mathematics and Measurement. Berkeley: University of California, 1987. (QA 22 D55 1987)

Duren, Peter, ed. A Century of Mathematics in America. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society, 1988. (QA 27 U5 C46 1988) - 3 volume set - covers the 20th century.

Eves, Howard. Great Moments in Mathematics (after 1650). Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 1981. (QA 21 E796 1981)

Eves, Howard. Great Moments in Mathematics (before 1650). Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 1980. (QA 21 E797)

Grattan-Guinness, I., ed. From the Calculus to Set Theory, 1630-1910: An Introductory History. London: Duckworth, 1980. (QA 21 F77)

Hay, Cynthia. Mathematics from Manuscript to Print, 1300-1600. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988. (QA 23 M28 1988)

Heath, Thomas Little, Sir. A History of Greek Mathematics. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1965. (QA 22 H4) - 2 volume set - v.1 covers Thales to Euclid, v.2 covers Ariistarchus to Diophantus.

Hofmann, Joseph E. Classical Mathematics: a concise history of the classical era in mathematics. NY: Philosophical Library, c1959. (QA 24 H643)

Lam, Lay Yong and Ang, Tian Se. Fleeting Footsteps: Tracing the Conception of Arithmetic and Algebra in Ancient China. Revised edition. Singapore: World Scientific, 2004. (QA 27 C5 L35 2004) -also available as an electronic book.

Kolmogorov, A.N., ed. Mathematics of the 19th Century: Mathematical Logic, Algebra, Number Theory, Probability Theory. Basel: Birkhauser Verlag, 1992. (QA 26 M27813 1992)

Neugebauer, Otto. The Exact Sciences in Antiquity. Second edition. Providence, RI: Brown University Press, 1957. (QA 22 N36 1957)

Struik, Dirk J. A Source Book in Mathematics, 1200-1800. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1969. (QA 21 S88)

Swetz, Frank J. Capitalism and Arithmetic: The New Math of the 15th Century. La Sable IL: Open Court, 1987. (QA 23 S94 1987) Includes the first English translation of the Treviso Arithmetic of 1478, the earliest printed work on arithmetic.

How do I find articles in periodicals on my topic?

Indexes/Abstracts/Databases

Linked below are lists of the indexes/abstracts/databases most appropriate for research in the history of mathematics. In addition to periodical articles, indexes and abstracts may also index articles/reports published in conference proceedings, government documents, technical reports, dissertations, and other sources. Indexes and abstracts vary in scope, depth and breadth of subject coverage. The online tutorial OWL 4: Electronic Searching Techniques and the Search Strategy Worksheet give a step-by-step description of how to develop a search strategy for electronic indexes. There are also search strategy guides tailored to science: Identifying Concepts and Generating Search Terms and AND, OR, NOT (Boolean Operators).

Unless otherwise noted, electronic indexes and abstracts are available only to HSU faculty, students and staff. If you are trying to connect from off-campus, you will need to "authenticate" yourself in order to connect to the databases. You will need to input your campus email login ID and password. See Off Campus Access to Databases for more information on how to do this.

Articles and Databases : Mathematics - Includes recommended databases in the history of mathematics.
Articles and Databases : History - A more in-depth list of history databases you can use if you don't find what you want in Articles and Databases : Mathematics
Biography Indexes

Biobase - A microfiche index to "biographical sketches found in ... current and retrospective biographical dictionaries." Located in the blue filing cabinets near the Information Desk on the first floor of the Library.
OmniFile Full Text Mega - You can limit your search to biography or obituary by using the Document Type pull-down menu.
Other biography resources may be found on History of Mathematics Resources on the Web.

Another way to do research -- Citation Searching!!!

NOTE: Due to severe budget constraints, only HSU graduate students and faculty may directly access the citation index databases, SciSearch and Social SciSearch. Undergraduate students may ask for assistance at the Information Desk (hours) if they need to use SciSearch or Social SciSearch. Google Scholar may also be useful when searching citations - please see How to Use Google Scholar and the HSU Library. More sources may be found in the Citation Searching section of Searching the Scientific Literature..

If you know of a particularly relevant or "classic" article on your topic, you may use Scisearch (1974 to date) to locate more recent articles which cite that relevant article. The principle here is that the citing article is on a subject closely related to that of the earlier article. Use the Citation Searching section of Scisearch to look up the author of the highly relevant or "classic" article. If any of the author's works have been cited or listed in the bibliography of works published during the time frame of the index, it will appear in the Citation Index along with a listing of the current authors citing it. This is a way to search the literature forward from an earlier article to the present time as opposed to the more familiar practice of finding a recent article and following its bibliography or list of citations backward in time. More detail may be found in Cited Reference Searching: An Introduction or ask for assistance at the Reference Desk (hours).

Social SciSearch (1974-) might be useful for topics related to history.

How do I find out if the Library has the item I need?

Once you have a list of citations or references on the topic you are researching, you must determine if HSU Library has the article, book, report or document cited. While you are searching a database, click on the icon (or other availability link) next to each citation and a link to full text availability of that item will appear.

If there is no icon, check the Journal and Newspaper Finder, a searchable guide to the more than 15,000 journals, magazines, newspapers and other serials accessible online as well as to the print periodicals in HSU Library. If you do not find what you want, check HSU Library Catalog for books, reports, dissertations, and the complete titles of periodicals (journals, magazines) containing articles of interest. The Journal and Newspaper Finder has been enhanced with common periodical abbreviations. You can search an abbreviation, e.g., jacs, and retrieve Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Indexes and abstracts often use abbreviations in their citations which you *may* need to decipher. Many indexes and abstracts publish separate lists of the abbreviations used. The list for the MathSciNet database is available at Search the Journals Database (MathSciNet). Consult a reference librarian at the Library's Reference Desk (hours) to locate an appropriate list of abbreviations or use the reference book Periodical Title Abbreviations: by abbreviation (ref Z 6945 A2 P47) located near the Reference Desk on the first floor. You may also use All That JAS: Journal Abbreviation Sources and other resources listed on Finding Periodical Title Abbreviations to locate abbreviations and their full titles. Do not guess at what abbreviations mean!

Remember that most government documents are not listed in HSU Library Catalog. If you wish to find a government document, consult the brochures: Finding Federal Documents at HSU and Finding California State Documents. You may also ask a reference librarian for assistance at the Reference Desk on the first floor (hours)or outside the Humboldt Room, room 308 (hours).

What if the Library doesn't have the item I need?

If the Library does not have the book, report, document, article, etc. which you need, you may request it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). This process can take as long as TWO WEEKS for books and ONE WEEK for articles so it is a good idea to begin your research early. There are also links to ILL forms from pages when the Library doesn't have full text. In addition, some databases have links to ILL forms.

Books available in other CSU libraries may be requested using the CSU Catalog's integrated ILL system.

See Interlibrary Loan Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

What about resources available on the Internet or World Wide Web?

There are many resources on the history of mathematics available on the Internet and World Wide Web. History of Mathematics Resources on the Web highlights the most important sites.

A final caveat:

You must critically evaluate the resources found online (as well as in the Library) by asking yourself the following questions:

Is the author an authority? What are his or her credentials?
Is the journal or source document (online or print) reputable? Is it peer-reviewed?
Was valid methodology used?
Were valid conclusions drawn?

More detailed information on how to evaluate resources may be found in the following:

Evaluating Information Sources - This online workshop from HSU Library offers criteria for evaluating sources of information that you have found in the Library or on the Internet. It shows you how to determine accuracy and reliability of information and whether it is suitable for your research project.
Critically Analyzing Information Sources - from Cornell University.

Be especially careful when surfing the Web!! The following references are especially helpful and tell you what to look for (and look out for):