Mathematics

Math 4044: Course guide

Using University Libraries

The University Libraries website will serve as the main portal for most of your research. From the main website, you will be able to

• access Summon (the library "search engine")
  • View Summon tutorials
• access Addison (the library catalog)
  • View Addison tutorials
• sign in from off campus to use restricted resources
• locate subject guides for help on researching various topics
  • Use the Mathematics Subject Guide for mathematics-specific guidance
• order books and articles through Interlibrary Loan
• find more helpful tutorials for conducting research

Recommended books/Reference resources

• A to Z of mathematicians, by Tucker McElroy
• A to Z of women in science and math, by Lisa Yount
• Biographical encyclopedia of mathematicians, ed. by Donald R. Franceschetti
• Calculus gems: brief lives and memorable mathematics, by George F. Simmons
• God created the integers: the mathematical breakthroughs that changed history, ed. by Stephen Hawking
• Makers of mathematics, by Stuart Hollingdale
• Notable women in mathematics: a biographical dictionary, ed. by Charlene Morrow and Teri Perl
• Remarkable mathematicians: from Euler to von Neumann, by Ioan James
• Scientists, mathematicians, and inventors: lives and legacies: an encyclopedia of people who changed the world, ed. by Doris Simonis [Ebook]
• The great mathematicians, by H. W. Turnbull

Browsing Suggestions

• Call number areas: QA 1-939 (4th floor), with a focus on QA 20-77
• Subject terms: Mathematicians--Biography; Mathematics--History
• MSC (Mathematics Subject Classification): 01 (See MathSciNet)

Recommended databases

The databases below all include information that could potentially be relevant to your research topic. Be sure to read the descriptions accompanying each database so that you have a good idea of what type of material is indexed within that database, how far it goes back, and whether or not it is full text.

• MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
  • MacTutor History Help
• MathSciNet
  • View MathSciNet tutorial(s)
• Web of Science: Citation Databases from Thomson Reuters
  • View Web of Science tutorial(s)
• Web Resources on the History of Mathematics (British Society for the History of Mathematics)

Building an effective search

Use the following Information Skills Module to be guided through the process of creating a powerful search statement that will return relevant results.

• Information Skills Module: Search statements & syntax

Evaluating information

Regardless of the type of information you are using, you always need to consider the authority, coverage, objectivity, accuracy, and currency of the information. University Libraries offers you several guides on evaluating information:

• Evaluating information, in general
• Information Skills Modules: Evaluating information
• Evaluating Internet Information

Managing your research

Visit the links below for a full listing of and access information about the various style guides and manuals that are available through VT University Libraries. Remember, different societies do revise their standards from time to time, so always check the edition/last update for any guide that you use, whether it's online or a hard copy.

• Citation and style manuals
• AMS (American Mathematical Society) Style

Want some help with building simple (yet correct) bibliographies and in-text citations? Try using a citation manager! You may want to browse through Wikipedia's handy comparison chart to see what's right for you, but University Libraries can recommend:

• EndNote | EndNote tutorials
• Zotero | Zotero tutorials
• Mendeley | Mendeley tutorials

Questions?

Schedule a one-on-one appointment with your subject librarian if you have any other questions or concerns. Information for all College Librarians can be found here. Additionally, the 4th floor reference desk (Science & Technology Reference Desk) is staffed during normal library hours, if you have a question that needs immediate assistance. You can drop in, or use our Ask a Librarian system for virtual service. We look forward to seeing you in the library!