Due: Friday, Feb. 25 (in class).
An assignment with several options. Pick only one
Option 1: The training of scribes.
In the course so far we have discussed the number systems of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and the scribes whose records we examine to learn about the mathematics of these ancient civilizations. The first extended essay is intended to give us the chance to dig into the history and training of these scribes.
Write an essay (3 - 5 pages 1.5 spacing) on either the life or training (or both, if you wish) of a scribe in Egypt or Mesopotamia (any of the cultures in Mesopotamia). Feel free to start your search on line (Google "tablet house" for instance and you get some 145,000 hits), but be careful to include in your research several works on paper. Papers on the web that are also in refereed journals count as works on paper.
Option 2: Early mathematics.
In the past three weeks we have been exploring the mathematics of the Fertile Crescent and of the Nile. We touched briefly on the mathematics of China, India, and mentioned (only very, very briefly) the mathematics of the Mayans.
Pick one of these three early cultures, and describe the mathematics of that culture, paying particular attention to