# History of math (suggestions for resources)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 18, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047 "2004-03-18T17:12:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GreyWanderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@GreyWanderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreyWanderer)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047/1 "2004-03-18T17:12:53Z")

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Ok, I’ll admit this is for a school project. I’m just wondering if you guys could point me to some good websites about the history of math and its practical applications throughout history.

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047/2 "2004-03-18T17:45:54Z")

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Go to Google and type in “math history” (no quotes). The first five results are fantastic resources.

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**Author:** ![GreyWanderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@GreyWanderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreyWanderer)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047/3 "2004-03-18T17:53:08Z")

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You and your obvious logic. (;

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047/4 "2004-03-18T20:43:31Z")

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Since you’re looking for suggestions rather than facts, I’ll move this thread to IMHO.

bibliophage  
moderator GQ

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**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047/5 "2004-03-18T21:21:49Z")

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The Mathematics Department at St. Andrews has a very comprehensive website at [http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/](http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/). It’s surprising how many Mathematicians it can list who were born (and died) on each day…

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**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047/6 "2004-03-18T21:25:43Z")

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…and this site is the first one Google returns! D’oh… should read these threads more carefully.

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**Author:** ![chigger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@chigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chigger)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047/7 "2004-03-18T22:15:29Z")

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Meanwhile, for fun reading, and perhaps some useful information in your project, check out “Men of Mathematics” by ET Bell. The math is interesting, but Bell’s acrid style makes for amusing biographical sketches.

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**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-math-suggestions-for-resources/235047/8 "2004-03-19T02:44:36Z")

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> [@chigger](#):
>
> Meanwhile, for fun reading, and perhaps some useful information in your project, check out “Men of Mathematics” by ET Bell. The math is interesting, but Bell’s acrid style makes for amusing biographical sketches.

I find math history engrossing for its own sake. I’ve got _A History of Mathematics_ around here somewhere. I wish I recalled where, exactly. I loved reading it.

_:Twenty minutes later:_

It is _Norton History of the Mathematical Sciences_ by Ivor Grattan-Guinness. But that’s not a web site. ☹ If the OP decides to look for books, let me know 'cos I know a number of titles, each of which on a topic that could fill a book.