Websites, Articles, and Books on Creating Primary Sources in the Teaching of Mathematics
Resource List for for PSP Authors of Materials for Using Primary Sources in the Teaching of Mathematics
Selected Online Resources
Annals of the TRIUMPHS Society
The flagship publication of the TRIUMPHS Society, related to the Society's goals of promoting the use of primary historical sources in the teaching of mathematics. Toward that end, the Annals publishes Primary Source Projects (PSPs) ready for classroom use, artifacts and documents related to the development or that support the implementation of such projects, and articles on the scholarship and learningThe Annals is peer reviewed and fully open-access to readers.
TRIUMPHS (TRansforming Instruction via Primary Historical Sources)
Provides access to the TRIUMPHS (Transforming Instruction in Undergraduate Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources) database of classroom-ready PSPs (Primary Source Projects) and mini-PSPs; site-tester information; and allied publications and presentations.
Learning Discrete Mathematics and Computer Science via Primary Historical Sources
Information connected to the 2008-2011 NSF grant project which was the “parent” of TRIUMPHS, with similar but more focused curricular goals; includes 20 classroom-tested Primary Source Projects.
Teaching Discrete Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources
Information connected to the 2005-2006 NSF grant project which was the “grandparent” of TRIUMPHS, with similar but more focused curricular goals; includes 16 classroom-tested Primary Source Projects.
Teaching With Original Historical Sources in Mathematics (aka “David Pengelley’s webpage”)
Motivations, origins, and two sets of book materials for teaching with primary historical sources that predate the “primary source project” approach; the “great-grandparent” site of TRIUMPHS.
Some helpful articles for getting started on writing PSPs
Barnett, J. H., Can, C. & Otero, D. 2024. Tagging Opportunities to Learn: A Coding Scheme for Student Tasks. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 21(1&2):225–255.
Parker, A. E. 2023. Pitfalls and Potential Solutions to Your Primary Source Problems. Convergence DOI:10.4169/Convergence20231201.
Barnett, J. H., Klyve, D., Otero, D. and Pengelley, D. How to Start Writing a Primary Source Project (PSP).
Some websites where you can find primary sources, generally in their original language
Hathi Trust: https://www.hathitrust.org/
Euler Archive: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/euler/ Also publishes peer-reviewed English translations of Euler’s work, when these are available.
Europeana: https://www.europeana.eu/en
Gallica (French National Library): https://www.bnf.fr/en/gallica-bnf-digital-library
Internet Archive: https://archive.org/
Some websites and texts where you can find primary sources in English translation
Primary source collections (online, in English translation).
Convergence – an index of available primary source translations can currently be found at the following URL (which is going away sometime in 2025): https://old.maa.org/node/1816610/
Some Mathematical Works of the 17th & 18th Centuries (aka, “Ian Bruce’s translation website”): https://www.17centurymaths.com/
Primary source collections (print, in English translation)
June Barrow-Green, Jeremy Gray, and Robin Wilson. 2021. The History of Mathematics: A Source-Based Approach (2 volumes). American Mathematical Society.
Available for purchase at https://bookstore.ams.org/view?ProductCode=TEXT-GREEN-SET
Note: This is an updated edition of the following text, which is also still useful and often available for purchase at AbeBooks, Amazon, and other vendors:
John Fauvel & Jeremy Gray. 1987. The History of Mathematics: A Source-Based Approach. The Open University.
Richard Bellmen (editor). 1961. A collection of modern mathematical classics: Analysis. Dover.
Available for purchase at: https://www.abebooks.com/ANALYSIS-Collection-Modern-Mathematical-Classics-Bellman/31669877254/bd (used)
Norman Biggs, Keith Lloyd and Robin Wilson. 1976. Graph theory 1736-1936. Clarendon Press.
Garrett Birkhoff (editor). 1973. A source book in classical analysis. Harvard University Press.
Available for purchase at:
Jean-Luc Chabert et al. A History of Algorithms: From pebble to the microchip. Springer.
Available for purchase at:
Ronald Calinger (editor). 1994. Classics of mathematics, second edition. Prentice Hall.
Available for purchase at:
Martin Davis. 1965. The undecidable: Basic papers on undecidable propositions, unsolvable problems and computable functions.Dover.
Available to borrow at https://archive.org/details/undecidablebasic0000mart
Available for purchase at:
William Ewald. 1996. From Kant to Hilbert: A source books in the foundations of mathematics. Two volumes. Clarendon Press \ Oxford University Press.
Available for purchase at:
Stephen Hawking. 2005. God created the integers: The mathematical breakthroughs that changed history. Running Press.
Victor Katz (editor). 2007. The mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam: A Sourcebook. Princeton University Press.
Victor Katz (editor). 2016. Sourcebook in the mathematics of medieval Europe and North Africa. Princeton University Press.
Henrietta Midonick (editor). 1965 The treasury of mathematics. Philosophical Library
Can be borrowed free of charge at https://archive.org/details/treasuryofmathem0000mido/page/n5/mode/2up
Available for purchase at https://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Mathematics-Collection-Material-Mathematic/dp/B0000CMLZH
David E. Smith (editor). 1929. A source book in mathematics. McGraw-Hill. Reprinted by Dover, 2012.
Available for free download at https://ia600203.us.archive.org/12/items/sourcebookinmath00smit/sourcebookinmath00smit.pdf
Dover reprint available for purchase at https://store.doverpublications.com/products/9780486158297?srsltid=AfmBOor0Gk6EM--f80kFGFn7bUTV7QJxgT3_bUf0Qaemal3PP7owKyzx
Jacqueline A. Stedall (editor). 2008. Mathematics emerging: A sourcebook 1540—1900. Oxford University Press.
Can be borrowed free of charge at https://archive.org/details/mathematicsemerg0000sted
Available for purchase at:
John Stillwell (editor). 1986. Sources of hyperbolic geometry. American Mathematical Society/London Mathematical Society.
Available for purchase at: https://bookstore.ams.org/view?ProductCode=HMATH/10
Dirk Struik (editor). 1986. A source book in mathematics, 1200—1800. Princeton University Press.
Jean Van Heijenoort (editor). 1967. From Frege to Godel: A source book in mathematical logic. Harvard University Press.
Available for purchase at:
Secondary sources of value for historical research related to PSP authorship
A History of Mathematics: An Introduction by Victor Katz, 3rd edition, 2014, Pearson; while there are other general HoM textbooks out there, but this is currently the standard treatment of the subject and provides detailed bibliographic notes that can lead you to an even more detailed history of a particular topic.
HoM Journals, including:
British Journal for the History of Mathematics [former title: Bulletin of the British Society for History of Mathematics]
Convergence – freely available until sometime in 2025 at old Convergence website
Landmark Writings in Western Mathematics 1640-1940, edited by Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Roger Cooke, Leo Corry, Pierre Crépel and Niccolo Guicciardini, 2005, Science Direct. This work contains 76 articles on major writings in mathematics during the indicated timeframe.
Other sources of primary sources for PSP authors
Collected Works of (hundreds of mathematicians!) are out there. For a bibliography of collected works and correspondence of mathematicians, compiled by Steven W. Rockey for the Cornell University Mathematics Library, visit https://briscoecenter.org/collections/archives-of-american-mathematics/
Euleriana, a peer-reviewed open-access eJournal focused on Leonhard Euler and Euler-related scholarship, supported by the University of the Pacific and the University of Washington Tacoma; also connected to the Euler Archive.
Great books of the Western World by Encyclopedia Britannica. First printing 1952, second printing 1990. 54 volume set, not all mathematical. For mathematical sources, see especially:
§ Volume 11 (selections from Euclid, Apollonius, Archimedes, Nicomachus)
§ Volume 16 (selections from Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler)
§ Volume 33 (includes selections from Pascal’s scientific treatises)
§ Volume 34 (selections from scientific works of Huygens, Newton)
§ Volume 45 (includes selections from Fourier)
· The entire Great Book series (1952 printing) is available for free download at: https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediabritannicagreatbooksofthewesternworld/Encyclop%C3%A6dia%20Britannica%20-%20Great%20Books%20of%20the%20Western%20World%2C%20Volume%201%20-%20The%20Great%20Conversation/
· The entire series and select volumes are also available for purchase at AbeBooks, Amazon, and other vendors.
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