2011 - J.P. Hogendijk

Activities in History of Mathematics in Utrecht in the year
2011
Contents:
• Personnel
• National and International Service
• Honors and Awards
• Publications
• Lectures
• Media
• Visits
• Visitors from abroad
• Organisation of conferences
• Ph.D. supervision
• Courses, Bachelor Theses and Master Theses related to the History of
Mathematics
• Mathematics teaching
• Miscellaneous teaching
Personnel
Mr. Viktor Bl˚asjö (VB): Sept. 1 - Dec. 31: “Toegevoegd docent” (adjunct
professor), Mathematics Department, UU.
Mrs. Jantien Dopper M.Sc. (JD): Jan. 1, 2011 - Aug. 31, 2011: Ph.D.
student (AIO) at the Department of Mathematics, UU. From Sept. 1 - Dec. 31:
official (unsalaried) guest of the History of Mathematics Research Group.
Mr. Wilfred de Graaf (WG) is a Ph.D. student in mathematics, working
with Prof. Odo Diekmann. Although his Ph.D. project is not in the history
of mathematics, Mr. de Graaf often participates in projects relating to Islamic
mathematics and Iran.
Mr. Henk Hietbrink (HH), mathematics teacher in Nieuwegein, formerly
working on a “teacher in research” project on Frans van Schooten, is continuing
his work as an official (unsalaried) guest of the Mathematics Department
(History of Mathematics Research Group).
Mr. Jan P. Hogendijk (JH), Jan. 1, 2011 - , Professor of History of Mathematics
in Utrecht University (0,5 full professor, 0,5 associate professor).
Mr. Goossen Karssenberg (GK) M.Sc., mathematics teacher in Den Helder,
finished his “teacher in research” project in Islamic tilings, funded by NWO, on
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August 31, 2011. The project was jointly supervised by Prof. Dr. Jan van Maanen
(Freudenthal Institute for Mathematics and Science Education) and JH. Mr.
Karssenberg continues to work in the same subject as a guest of the History of
Mathematics Research Group. See the website http://www.goossenkarssenberg.nl
Mrs. Kim Plofker, who was a postdoctoral fellow from 2004 to 2006, was
awarded a prize because of the project she did in Utrecht and therefore she will
be mentioned in this report.
Mr. Hüseyin S¸en (HS) is a master student in History of Islamic Science,
working with JH.
Mr. Steven Wepster (SW): from January 1, 2011 - Dec. 31, 2011: 0,8
“Universitair Docent”, Department of Mathematics, UU; 0,1 fte is dedicated
to the Betasteunpunt (an office of the Faculty of Science for the support of
highschool students)
Mrs. Liesbeth de Wreede (LW): Jan. 1, 2011 - Dec. 31, 2011: Official
(unsalaried) guest of the Mathematics Department (History of Mathematics
Research Group), UU, 0.0 fte.
National and International Service
JH is president of the Commission for Science and Technology in Islamic Societies
JH is a member of the editorial board of the following journals in the history
of science:
• Ganita-Bharati (Delhi, ISSN 0970-0307),
• Istoriko-Matematicheski Issledovaniya (Moscow, ISBN 5-8037-0291-9),
• Suhayl (Barcelona, ISSN 1576-9372),
• Zeitschrift für Geschichte der arabisch-islamischen Wissenschaften (Frankfurt,
ISSN 0179-4639),
• Historia Mathematica (Amsterdam-San Diego, ISSN 0315-0860),
• Ta’rikh-e Elm (Tehran, ISSN 1735-0573),
• Journal for the History of Arabic Science (Aleppo, ISSN 0379-2927),
• Early Science and Medicine (Leiden, ISSN 1383-7427).
JH is a member of the Board of Trustees (Stiftungsrat) of the Institute
for History of Arabic-Islamic Science in Frankfurt am Main, and owner of the
website http://www.ibttm.org for the ˙ Istanbul ˙ Islam Bilim ve Teknoloji Tarihi
Müzesi (Museum of History of Science and Technology in Islam) in Istanbul
(Turkey). The website is managed by HS.
SW is member of the editorial board of the journal Nieuw Archief voor
Wiskunde since january 2011, and member of the editorial board of the Zebrareeks
since August 2011.
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Honors and Awards
• Dr. Kim Plofker, Union College, Schenectady, USA (who worked in
Utrecht from 2004 to 2006 as a postdoctoral fellow) received the Brouwer
Medal of the Koninklijk Wiskundig Genootschap at the Dutch Mathematical
Conference in Twente on April 14. The Brouwer Medal is awarded
every three years; in 2011 it was awarded by the Koninklijk Wiskundig
Genootschap in the “subfield of history of mathematics”. Her prize lecture,
“Mathematics and its worldwide history”, was published in Nieuw
Archief voor Wiskunde, vijfde serie, 13 no. 1 (2012), pp. 45-53.
• JH is member of the Dutch Royal Academy of Sciences (KNAW), and
executive Member, Academie Internationale d’Histoire des Sciences.
• JH is adjunct professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, King
Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. beginning
July 1, 2011.
• SW received the Senior Kwalificatie Onderwijs in the summer of 2011.
• On June 22, 2010, the report of the “Research Review of Mathematics during
20032008 at the six Dutch Universities of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam
(VU), Groningen (RUG), Leiden (UL), Nijmegen (RU), and Utrecht
(UU)”, was published by the Quality Assurance [of] Netherlands Universities.
For the program UU4, History of Mathematics, see pp. 89-91. The
scores were (on a scale of 1 to 5) Quality: 4, Productivity: 4, Relevance:
5, Viability: not applicable. (In the previous research review, which appeared
in 2004, the scores for the program UU04 History of Mathematics
were Quality: 4, Productivity: 3, Relevance: 4, Viability: 4.)
Publications
• JH, De zonnecirkel, Nieuwe Wiskrant 30 nr. 4, juni 2011, 12-17. ISSN
0928-7167.
• JH, Middeleeuwse islamitische geometrische ornamentiek, Nieuw Archief
voor Wiskunde, vijfde serie, 12 no. 4, december 2011, 253-258. ISSN
0028-9825.
• JH, Enkele achtergronden van de middeleeuws Islamitische geometrische
ornamentiek, in: Symmetrie: Vakantiecursus 2011, Amsterdam, Centrum
voor Wiskunde en Informatica, 2011, CWI-syllabus 61, pp. 33-46. ISBN
987 90 6196 558 9.
• JH, Review of Thābit ibn Qurra: on the sector-figure and related texts.
Edited with translation from the Arabic and commentary by Richard Lorch.
Augsburg: Dr. Erwin Rauner Verlag, 2008. Algorismus Heft 67, ISBN:
978-3-936905-31-1 in Mathematical Reviews 2011i:01003. ISSN: 0025-5629.
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• SW, Pragmatische oplossingen, Nieuw Archief voor Wiskunde, vijfde serie,
12 no. 3, september 2011, 169-170.
Lectures
• Jan. 11. P.M. Jenneke Krüger (Freudenthal Institute of Science and
Mathematics Education FIsmE), Mathematics teaching in the Fundatie
van Renswoude at Utrecht (ca. 1760-1800). Combined lunch colloquium
of the FIsmE and the history of mathematics group.
• Jan. 28, Saskia van den Hoeven, Bart Post en Maartje van der Veen
[students, Utrecht University], workshop “muqarnas” (developed in the
seminar History of Mathematics, spring 2010, under supervision of JH),
Nationale Wiskundedagen, Noordwijkerhout, 15.30-17.00, 60 participants.
• Jan. 29, GK, together with Mrs. Aldine Aaten (Freudenthal Institute),
workshop “mathematics using Islamic tilings: Iran in the classroom”, Nationale
Wiskundedagen, Noordwijkerhout, 9.15-10.15, 60 participants.
• Jan. 29, JH, plenary (closing) lecture, “De zonnecirkel”. Nationale Wiskundedagen,
Noordwijkerhout, 11.45-12.30, 500 participants. See the report
by Gert de Kleuver in Euclides 87 no. 3 (dec. 2011), 101-103.
• Feb. 21, 23 and March 2, JH, three lectures in the course Math 305
(History of Mathematics), KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
• Feb. 22, JH, A project on Islamic sundials, public lecture, KFUPM,
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
• March 1, JH, Workshop on teaching a course on History of Islamic Science,
KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
• March 22, WG, HS, workshop “Escher and Islamic Art”, Intercultural
Student Association Insan, Utrecht.
• March 22, JD, “Les commentaires de Van Schooten sur la Géométrie de
Descartes”, conference: Mathématiques à l’âge classique ( Équipe REH-
SEIS), Paris, Université Paris-Diderot.
• March 25, JH, workshop/lecture on Babylonian mathematics and astronomy
and on popularizing Islamic science, for teachers and parents of highschool
students participating in the national Mathematics Olympiade, 35
participants.
• March 28, JH, lecture together with Dr. Asghar Seyed-Gohrab, “Al-Biruni
(973-1050) en de Wetenschappen”, Royal Dutch Academy of Science, Amsterdam.
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• April 2, JH, lecture “wiskunde een dagje ouder”, and WG and JH, workshop
“the astrolabe”, on the day for parents (ouderdag) organized by the
student association A-Eskwadraat. Total 150 participants in the lecture
and the two groups of the workshop.
• April 14, P.M.: Dr Kim Plofker, Union College, Schenectady, USA, delivered
the Brouwer lecture at the Dutch Mathematics Conference, University
of Twente. Title of the lecture: “Mathematics and the History of
Mathematics in Western and Non-Western Traditions.”
• April 18, JD,“University, Mathematics and the State: the case of the
Duytsche Mathematicque’ of Leiden University during the 17th Century”,
Lissabon, Portugal, Conference: History of European Universities. Challenges
and transformations.
• April 18. WG and HS, astrolabe workshop, Ankara University, Turkey, 30
participants
• April 19, WG and HS, astrolabe workshop, Kastamonu University, Turkey,
70 participants.
• April 21, SW, Preparing a translation of Ludolph van Ceulen’s ”Vanden
Circkel,” Departemental colloquium, Mathematics Department, University
of Utrecht.
• April 22, WG and HS, workshop: Escher and Islamic art, Netherlands
Institute in Turkey, Istanbul, 25 participants
• April 27, SW, Preparing a translation of Ludolph van Ceulen’s ”Vanden
Circkel,” Departemental colloquium, Mathematics Department, Free University
of Amsterdam.
• April 27, JH, Astrolabe-workshop and lecture on Babylonian and Greek
astronomy in the course on History of Mathematics and Physics organized
by Prof. Dr. Ch. Lüthy, Radboud University of Nijmegen.
• August 27, JH, “enkele achtergronden van Islamitische mozaieken”, vakantiecursus
Symmetrie, Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica, Amsterdam.
• October 11, JH, lecture: “Astrology” in the interdisciplinary honours
course “The Unity of Sciences” (Descartes College, Utrecht University)
• October 19, JH, “Aspects of mathematics in the Islamic tradition: Abu
Rayh. ān (al-)Bīrūnī (973-ca. 1050)”, Algemeen colloquium, Department of
Mathematics, Free University of Amsterdam.
• November 10, VB, “Leibniz on the Rectification of Quadratures”, Soeminestation,
Holbaek, Denmark.
• November 19, WG, HS, workshop The Astrolabe, Turkish Festival in
Manchester, UK, organized by British Muslim Heritage Center.
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• December 19, JH, “Scientific Computing in Medieval Islamic Civilization,”
plenary lecture, conference: Numerical Analysis and Optimization: Theory
and Practice (NAOTA 2011), KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Media
• A two-page interview with Dr. Kim Plofker (Union College, Schenectady,
USA), relating to her Brouwer prize, appeared in the section “Wetenschap”
in the journal NRC on April 16, 2011.
• Citations of JH appeared in articles by Margriet van der Heijden, ”Verwarring
om oud rekenboek”, ”Een islamitisch geleerde uit Italië”, “Rekenen
met Liber Abaci en Flos” in NRC-Handelsblad, on June 16, 2011, pages
18 and 19, and ”Rommelen met rekenboek”, ”Hij bezorgde ons de cijfers”,
“Rekenen met Liber Abaci en Flos” in NRC-next, on June 17, 2011, pages
22 and 23.
Visits
• JH, Frankfurt, Institut für Geschichte der arabisch-islamischen Wissenschaften:
Feb. 15-16; March 23-24; April 19-21 (with Dr. M. Alfuraidan); June 2-4
(with VB and Dr. S. Alhomidan); July 13-15; August 24-26 (with VB and
Mr. Eric van Lit M.A).
• JH, KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 19 - March 6, May 23-27,
December 16-24.
• JD, Université Paris-Diderot, Paris, France, March 21-23.
• JD, Lissabon, Portugal, 18-20 april 2011. Conference: History of European
Universities. Challenges and transformations.
• JD, Woudschoten (Zeist), Fourth bi-annual Dutch conference in the history
of science, June 17
• VB, November 2-6, Institut Henri Poincaré, Paris, 22th Novembertagung
on the History of Mathematics.
• VB, November 8-11, Soeminestation, Holbaek, Denmark, Discussion forum
on history and philosophy of science.
Visitors from Abroad
• January 11: Dr Djura Paunic, Novi Sad, Serbia.
• April 14-17, and June 21-24, Dr Kim Plofker, Department of Mathematics,
Union College, Schenectady, NY, USA
• April 15-22: Dr Monther Alfuraidan, KFUPM, Department of Mathematical
Sciences, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
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• May 16, Dr. Eisso Atzema, Department of Mathematics, University of
Maine, Orono, Maine.
• May 31 - June 4: Prof Dr Suliman Alhomidan, KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi
Arabia.
• June 1 - Aug. 31: Mr. Viktor Bl˚asjö, previously Department of Mathematics,
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Co., USA.
• July 18: Dr B van Dalen, Frankfurt.
• October 22: Dr B van Dalen, Frankfurt.
Ph.D supervision
• JH was member of the reading committee of the dissertation by Arjen
Dijkstra, “Between Academics and Idiots: A cultural history of Mathematics
in the Dutch Province of Friesland (1600-1700)”, University of
Twente; public defence in Franeker on Sept. 21, 2012.
•
• SW is involved in the supervision of the Ph.D. thesis of Roel Nicolai (together
with Ferjan Ormeling en Peter vd Krogt); SW and JH are involved
in the supervision of the Ph.D. theses of Jantien Dopper, Jeanine Daems,
and Viktor Bl˚asjö.
Courses, Bachelor Theses and Master Theses related to the
History of Mathematics
• In fall 2010, SW taught the course Geschiedenis van de Wiskunde WISB281,
7.5 ects. 19 students passed this course. The following essays were written
by the students:
– Sanne Ruiter and Jan Boogert: Notatie van differentiaal- en integraalrekening:
Newton versus Leibniz
– Jenny de Jong and Annemarie de Vries: Fortificatie in de 17e en 18e
eeuw in Nederland
– Vera Zijlstra and Emile Broeders: De Mayakalender
– John Heerens and Mathieu van Ommeren: The Origins of Linear
Algebra
– William Schelling and Martijn Valk: Complexe getallen
– Roberto Werrelman and Marjolein Piek: Het getal bij de Grieken
– Peter Lombaers, Mijke van de Hurk, and David Koops: Wiskundige
spelen in de geschiedenis van de wiskunde
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– Tinus Coppens and Bas van Kempen: Mathematicus Laurens Praalder
en zijn tijdgenoten
– Kees Vermaat and Hanneke Buitenhuis: Isaac Newton, geloof en
wetenschap
• SW taught the course “historical aspects of classroom mathematics” WISL901
(blok 3 and 4, spring 2011) 29 students.
– Kees Bangma, Vangelis Karagiannakis: Pick up the Phone
– Maggie Kuijpers, Auke Mollema, Annechien Ponstein: WisQuiz
– Nick Evans, Olaf Hammelberg: Change your stat’ of mind
– Pieter Jongenelen, Jorge Viejo Sánchez: Soap Films: Nature behind
the Maths
– Emmanuel Ursella, Cees Klik: Golden ratio, three convergent approaches
– Ekasatya Aldila Afriansyah, Anisa Fatwa Sari, Fajar Arwadi: Numbers
less than nothing
– Nila Mareta Murdiyani, Ilham Rizkianto, Septy Sari Yukans: Reinventing
Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio
– Achmad Badrun Kurnia, Saliza Safta Assiti, Yenny Anggreini: Find
your own triple of Pythagoras
– Brian van de Camp, Awaz Majid: De ontwikkeling van rol en positie
van de grafische rekenmachines in het wiskundeonderwijs
– Faryaneh Fadaei, Armin Pourazarhagh: A mathematical tour on
Königsberg bridges
– Hanneke Jansen, Daniël Muilwijk: Het Chinese postbodeprobleem
– Lida Sangsefidi: De vergelijkingen van de tweede graad
• SW taught the course Geschiedenis van de Wiskunde WISB382 in a new
experimental form (level 3), 12 students. The essays will be listed in the
report 2012.
• SW supervised a project on Henri Poincaré by the two students Hasse
van Boven and Rob Wesselink in spring 2011. The project led to a joint
publication (see report on 2012).
• SW supervised the following ”kleine scripties” (WISB399, 7,5 ECTS)
– Lydia Brenner: ”Een studie naar het wiskundeonderwijs in de achttiende
eeuw in Nederland”;
– Maartje van der Veen, Fundamenta Arithmetica et Geometria: meer
dan een vertaling [on Van Ceulen and Snellius]
– Aafke de Vos, Poincarés filosofische ideen over de niet-Euclidische
meetkunde;
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• SW supervised the following M.Sc. thesis (Master program Science Teacher
Education) Jo-An Sanders, “Tafelen voor de land-meters: De zoektocht
naar de bron van de goniometrische tabellen in Ludolph van Ceulens boek
Vanden Circkel” (30 ECTS).
• JH supervised the following “kleine scriptie” (WISB399) Jos van der Maas,
bachelor thesis: “De foute wiskunde van Scaliger” [the false mathematics
of Scaliger], 7,5 ECTS, January 2011.
• JH gave the following lectures in the Inter-university master course Chapters
in the History of Astronomy, organized by Prof. Frank Verbunt:
Greek Astronomy, Islamic Astronomy (May 18); the Copernican revolution
(June 8).
• WG taught the astrolabe workshop on May 25.
• SW is adviser in the Ph.D. project of Mr. Roel Nicolai on the origin and
analysis of medieval portolan charts.
Mathematics teaching
• VB taught the following three werkcolleges (tutorial groups) in the fall of
2011: Linear Algebra A (WISB121), Infinitesimaalrekening A (WISB132,
in part), and an interactive group Wat is Wiskunde (WISB101) He also
supervised two Caleidoscoop 1 essays (WISB104), both on the topic ”On
Regular Polygons, Eulers Function and Fermat Numbers”. The essays
were written by the student groups (1) Guido Baardink, Christian Nesenberend,
Koen Schalkwijk; and (2) Martijn Hidding, Rens de Haas.
• In 2011, JH was Director of Studies of the Bachelor Program in the Department
of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of Utrecht.
• JH taught Infinitesimaalrekening B (Vector Calculus) to a group of ca.
115 students in nov.-dec. 2010. On Jan, 20, 2011, 79 students passed this
course (3,75 ECTS credits). On March 17, 18 more students passed this
course.
• In the series Caleidoscoop (WISB104), JH gave two lectures on Feb 8 and
March 22, and he supervised two student essays: Merlijn Koek, Lars van
den Berg, Serop Lazarian: De laatste stelling van Fermat; and Jan-Willem
Buurlage, Yoran Tournois, Lauran Toussaint: Historische bewijzen van
Σ∞ n=1 1
n2 = π2
6 .
• In sept–oct, JH taught Infinitesimaalrekening A, i.e., single-variable calculus
(WISB132, 7.5 ECTS). 123 (out of ca. 140) students passed the
course.
• In nov. 2011-jan. 2012, JH taught Infinitesimaalrekening B, multi-variable
calculus (WISB133, 3.75 ECTS). For results see the report of 2012.
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• SW taught Wiskunde voor chemici (mathematics for chemists) SK-BWK1B
(fall2010/spring 2011, blok 2 en 3) to ca 64, students,
• SW taught a summer course in mathematics for prospective students of
chemistry, 18 students [no ECTS yield]
• SW taught Wiskunde voor chemici (mathematics for chemists) SK-BWK1A
(fall 2011, blok 1, 2.5 ECTS) 34 students passed.
• Together with Mrs. Liesbeth de Wreede (Leiden LUMC), SW supervised
the M.Sc thesis of Deniese Mandemaker (Science Teacher Education)
“Levende Statistiek: docentenhandleiding en opgaven”, 30 ECTS
• Together with Frits Beukers and Sander Dahmen, SW taught a masterclass
on mathematics (subject: continued fractions) for highschool students, 14-
15 okt. 12 participants
• Betakwadrant: SW co-organized a workshop on wiskunde-D en NLT (together
with Quintijn Puite en Ineke Koekkoek; the workshop was given
on October 6 by Frits Spijkers and Peter Duifhuis)
• SW is involved in a project to develop the DWO (Digitale Wiskunde
Omgeving = Digital Aids in Mathematics Teaching), together with Sietske
Tacoma, Peter Boon, Egbert Mulder.
• SW is involved in the development of an educational program in mathematics
in the Boerhaave Museum in Leiden.
Miscellaneous teaching
JH taught a course “Influence of Islam on Western science and civilization”
(course code 201000205, 7.5 ECTS) in the Department of History in December
2010 and January 2011. 22 students passed this course.
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