The History of Mathematical Sciences is the history of everything that human beings have done in the name of the production of quantitative knowledge and the use of this knowledge. Therefore, it evaluates the emergence, development, change and transformation of quantitative knowledge and their movement in different times and places, with the help of the histories of other sciences with which it is closely and distantly related, without carrying today to yesterday and yesterday to today.
This discipline of the history of science, in order to carry out the aforementioned evaluation in a systematic manner on the grounds that the subjects of mathematical sciences have diversified over a wide period of time, creates sub-disciplines while making historical periodisation on the one hand. The historical periodisation is determined on the basis of the civilisations established by one or more tribes from the earliest times when mathematical knowledge reached the present day (around 2500 BC) until approximately AD and the date range in which they were active. The main ones can be listed chronologically as Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Indian, Chinese and Greek cultures. There are different variables for the periods after Christ. The thousand-year adventure of the production and use of quantitative knowledge under the auspices of powerful states shaped around ‘Islam’, which emerged in the 7th century with a new worldview, offered a new way of looking at things, and presented itself not only as a set of commandments and prohibitions but also as a way of life, is analysed under the subtitle ‘Islamic period’. On the other hand, the production, development and circulation of mathematical knowledge in Europe and relatedly in Western societies is divided into sections in parallel with the periodisation of the history of civilisation. Accordingly, the period from the 5th century to the 15th century is labelled as the ‘Middle Ages’. The 15th and 16th century is the Renaissance period. From the 17th century onwards, the foundations of modern mathematics were laid with the emergence of ‘new science’. The 19th century and later is defined as the ‘modern’ and ‘contemporary period’.
Sub-disciplines are listed under the history of mathematics according to the periods of their emergence as a branch of science in the historical process. However, from the very beginning, a distinction can be made between calculus, algebra and geometry.
In the light of all these, the Department of History of Mathematical Sciences aims to understand the relationship of human beings with the quantitative throughout history and to project the future in the context of this relationship. In fact, this aim, in the context of its relationship with the quantitative, also includes making sense of human beings.
It asks questions to understand the development of mathematics, the evolution of mathematical concepts, the contributions of mathematicians, and the cultural and historical context of mathematical thought, including the origin of mathematical concepts, the lives and contributions of mathematicians, mathematical methods and theories, mathematical publications and education, the interaction between mathematics and other disciplines, the evolution of mathematical thought, and cultural and geographical differences.
Two types of sources, primary and secondary, are used in research on the history of mathematical sciences. The former includes manuscript mathematical books written by the mathematicians themselves and their facsimiles or edited editions, as well as cultural and historical documents of the period under study; historical documents in which mathematics was applied, engineering drawings, astronomical observation notes, trade records, etc. The latter includes academic articles and books in the field, biographies of famous mathematicians describing their lives and works, and analyses of the historical and cultural context of mathematical thought and practices.
The methods used in research on the history of mathematical sciences are divided into four categories: historical analysis, textual analysis, social and cultural analysis and biographical method. In historical analysis, on the one hand, mathematical developments are examined in chronological order and important events and milestones are identified, and on the other hand, mathematical developments of different cultures and civilisations are compared. In textual analysis, historical mathematical texts and manuscripts are analysed and interpreted in detail, and the mathematical language and symbols in these texts are analysed. In social and cultural analysis, the socio-cultural factors affecting the development of mathematics as well as the relationship between mathematical discoveries and theories and the sociological events of the period are investigated. In biographical analysis, the life stories of mathematicians are analysed and their influence on the production of mathematical knowledge is examined.
The history of mathematical sciences is related to the history of all other sciences under the umbrella of the history of sciences, especially the history of astronomy, the history of geography, philosophy, history, philology, history of educational sciences, archaeology and palaeography.
The study of the history of mathematical sciences in the world academia dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This process began with an increased interest in the history of mathematics and the emergence of an academic discipline dedicated to understanding the origins and evolution of mathematical knowledge. Today, knowledge in this field is produced and transmitted through academic programmes and departments, international organisations, conferences, academic publications and multidisciplinary approaches.
The intellectual merit of research in the Department of History of Mathematical Sciences can be explained in terms of deepening scientific understanding, interdisciplinary connections, innovation in education, evolution of scientific and philosophical thought; the intellectual merit can be explained in terms of cultural context and identity, motivation and inspiration, historical connections and stories, preservation of scientific heritage.