Algebraic Spirals

Date: 19 May 1995 07:56:42 -0400
From: Lauren Jones
Subject: Spirals

Hi, I am a fellow Swarthmorean and I am working with a group here, 
at the University of Alabama, on a project called "Integrated Science".  
We are writing a curriculum for the seventh graders for this fall and 
we hope to include a section on spirals, but we are having a hard time 
finding clear information on spirals.  We have plenty of information on 
logarithmic and Archimedean spirals, but I have read about "algebraic" 
spirals called "cissoid" and "conchoid" which Descartes deemed more 
exact than the "transcendental" logarithmic and Archimedean spirals, 
but I have not been able to find any other information on these figures.  

I am waiting to hear from someone in the math department here, but 
maybe you can help.

Sincerely,
Lauren Jones

Date: 9 Jun 1995 12:02:14 -0400
From: Dr. Ken
Subject: Re: Spirals

Hello there!

Here's one reference I found that you might want to check out.  It doesn't
have much, but it's a start.


 AUTHOR       Kline, Morris, 1908-
 TITLE        Mathematical thought from ancient to modern times.
 PUBLISHER    New York, Oxford University Press, 1972.
 DESCRIPT     xvii, 1238 p. illus. 24 cm.
 SUBJECT      Mathematics --History.
 NOTE         Includes bibliographies.
 ISBN         0195014960.

-K