PART 1

The team will research the assigned culture. Use the following websites as a starting point. You may use other resources, such as printed materials in the media center if necessary.  

General Reference:

History of Math timeline

Overview of the history of mathematics

Ancient Greece:

Basic Ideas in Greek Mathematics

Trigonometry in the 2nd Century

Archimedes

Ancient Asia:

China's History

Geometry in Japan

The Abacus - the first calculator

The Arab World:

Algebra in the Arab World

Arabic mathematics

Mathematics in Africa

Renaissance Europe:

Leonardo da Vinci

"The Measurers" painting of mathematicians at work

Geometry applications

  PART 2

Use the information from Part 1 to decide which culture and time period would be most useful in solving your team's assigned problem. Solving the problem is optional. Your team will prepare a one-page typewritten report justifying your choice of mathematical history. Consider the following questions:

- Is there a major topic in the problem that was addressed by an early mathematician?

- Are there any formulas or symbols that relate to a specific time period?