Ask Dr. Math

High School Archive

Browse High School History/Biography

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Incommensurable Numbers [07/25/2001]

What is an incommensurable number?

Japanese Mathematics [02/15/2001]

Can you give me some information on Japanese mathematics, both past and present, and the names of some famous Japanese mathematicians?

John Napier [06/17/1998]

Why was John Napier's discovery of logarithms a great contribution to the field of mathematics?

John Venn and Venn Diagrams [09/04/1998]

Can you give me some information on John Venn and the origin of Venn diagrams?

The Königsberg Bridge [5/20/1996]

Do you have information on Konigsberg's bridge?

Kumon Math [3/24/1996]

Do you know how I can find information on the Kumon method of teaching mathematics? It was developed by Mr. Toru Kumon of Japan in 1958...

Lenore Blum [04/21/1997]

Where can I find information on Lenore Blum?

'Log' Button [01/29/1998]

We have been using the 'log' button on our calculators to solve problems involving compound interest. What does that button do?

Lorenz Equations [12/25/2002]

How do Lorenz equations work?

Lorenzo Mascheroni and Emmy Noether [11/15/1995]

What kind of discovery did Lorenzo Mascheroni make? Also, what woman mathematician was born in 1882 and at what U.S. college did she end her teaching career?

Ludolph van Ceulen and Pi [11/02/1998]

How did Ludolph van Ceulen estimate pi by inscribing and circumscribing a circle with squares?

Math and God [10/23/2002]

I was wondering if you could give me some information on how people throughout history have used math to talk about God.

Math and Music: Harmonic Series [01/09/1998]

Could you supply me with information on how math relates to music?

The Math Behind Music: Pitches, Scales, Geometry [12/03/1997]

Connections between music, physics, and math.

Mathematical Notation [11/1/1995]

Is there a source that explores the "mathematical alphabet"?

Mathematics in Colonial America [11/10/1997]

I am at a loss at how to incorporate pragmatic mathematic lessons into an early America lesson.

Math in Computer History [11/04/2000]

I'm doing a major project on the history of computers, focusing on the mathematical issues and ideas. Can you list some math topics and the names of some key mathematicians who were involved?

Math on Africa [01/03/1997]

We're doing an interdisciplinary unit on Africa. My part is to do something about math...

Matrices and Computer Programming [11/05/1996]

Why are matrix multiplication and matrix algebra the way they are?

Methods of Computing Trig Functions [09/07/99]

What would I do to figure out the actual angle of C, without using a table or calculator, if I know that tan(C) = 4/3?

Millennium and the Year 0 [01/03/1999]

I know that they new millennium really begins in 2001 because there was no year 0. Why did they skip that year in the numbering?

Mobius Strip as Source of Infinity Symbol? [03/31/2005]

A history of the origin of the infinity symbol which discounts the common misperception that it is based on the Mobius strip.

Moritz Pasch [09/20/1997]

I need all possible information on Moritz Pasch.

Multiplying Large Numbers Using Sine and Cosine [12/17/2002]

I am researching Tycho Brahe and have come upon an example where he uses [sin(a + b) + sin(a - b)]/2 to multiply large numbers together due to the availability of sine tables. Can you explain the method?

Names of Polynomials [05/22/1999]

Why is an equation having only two roots, one of which is raised to the second power, called a quadratic equation?

Naming Small Numbers [07/29/2002]

Why were the names 'one', 'two', 'three', and so on, given to those numbers?

Naming the Isosceles Triangle [09/23/1998]

How did the isosceles triangle receive its name?

Natural Logarithms [11/23/1998]

Why are logarithms to the base e called "natural"?

Negative Number History [11/25/2001]

What happened in the 16th century that caused people to need to use negative numbers, and what was their image of a negative number before that?

The New Math [07/05/2000]

What is the "New Math?"

Number Systems: Two Points of View [06/30/1998]

What are the number systems?

Number Word Etymologies [05/03/2001]

Who made up the names for numbers?

Numeral Systems and Representing Numbers [10/30/1998]

Can you tell me the different ways the number 8 is represented? For example, what about different numeral systems?

Omar Khayyam [01/19/1997]

I need three events about Omar Khayyam, a 1st century mathematican, for a high school report.

The Origin and Meaning of Q.E.D. [9/20/1995]

What does Q.E.D. stand for?

The Origin of Conic Sections [10/02/1998]

What are the origins of conic sections?

Origin of Inductive Proofs [12/03/1997]

What is the origin of the method of "inductive proof"? Why was it developed and how was it used?

The Origin of Month Names [10/17/1998]

If oct is the prefix for 8 and dec is the prefix for 10, why is October the 10th month and December the 12th month?

Origin of Radians [05/27/2002]

Where, exactly, did radians come from?

Origin of the Quadratic Equation [7/12/1996]

Who discovered the Quadratic Equation?

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