Essay Questions for Exams

1. Describe and contrast the evidence on which our knowledge of Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics is based. Do you think it likely that our knowledge will be significantly altered by the discovery of new documents? Explain.

2. Morris Kline has said that Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics had "Some vigor, if not rigor, and more perseverance than brilliance." Discuss.

3. We discussed several solutions to the trisection problem. Explain how one of them works, indicating who did the work. Also, explain what is meant by the word solution.

4. What benefits, if any, are derived from knowing the history of mathematics? You may answer both from an individual point of view and from the point of view of future teacher.

5. If you were teaching high school algebra what points about the history of the subject do you think it is important to tell the students about?