A proposal and bibliography of a paper

You just need to do the proposal and bibliography part, and later, I will order you for the whole essay, and here is the description:

Paper Description

The trajectory paper should take a single mathematical idea and follow it either

over time or over place. That is, you should choose examples illustrating how

your idea developed historically, or you can compare the approach to your idea

of distinct cultures. Of course, even if you choose a historical trajectory, you

may also wish to consider distinct cultures.

You should include at least three “original” mathematical sources. By original, I mean directly translated into English. In our textbooks, we find such

examples, and then we see the authors modernize, unpack, and explain them.

You will be doing the modernizing, unpacking, and explaining. You will also

tie your examples together in a compelling and interesting way using excellent

prose.

You need at least three sources rather than exactly three sources, because some

sources may be small. For example, if you are presenting division problems in

the Rhind papyrus as one of your sources, you will want to use several problems,

because they are short and don’t have much content. Or you may wish to use

a fourth example.

1

Here are two trajectories you may not use: Calculus, because there are too

many available, and non-euclidean geometry, because we will be reading exactly

such a trajectory for class.

Here are some examples of possible trajectories:

- Infinite series.

- Calculating techniques

- False position, or reducing a difficult problem to a simpler one

- The limit

- Diophantine equations–from Pythagoras to Fermat

- Traditional math disciplines–choose one. Like trigonometry, geometry,

number theory.

- The role of physics and astronomy

Caution: When you get past the 17th century, the mathematics becomes quite

rigorous and dense. It’s great to read it, but it might be a lot to tackle for this

paper.

3. Description of Project Proposal and Bibliography (due Monday, 2/15.) You

should submit a proposal explaining the following in some detail:

(a) Why your project is interesting. (One or two paragraphs.)

(b) Why your project is possible. By this, I mean an annotated bibliography.

Give the full bibliographic details of each source, and, for each one, explain

how you will obtain it and how you mean to use it.

(c) Include ways for me to see your sources. If it’s from a book, scan and

attach it. If online, include links. Your sources will eventually need to be

included as part of the paper.

(d) The more complete your proposal is, the better your feedback will be. For

example, if you have chosen something too difficult or too easy, and if you

explain your intentions carefully, then I will be able to respond before you

have sunk a lot of time and energy into something that might not work.