Whilst studying A-Level Mathematics, my learning at school was partly motivated by reading about the history of mathematics at home. This only happened, however, because of my older brother who at the time was studying for a degree in mathematics. Thankfully, he had left behind his pre-university reading, and I took my opportunity to learn much about Newton vs. Leibniz, Gauss’ famous summing of numbers, the brilliance of Riemann, and much more.
In teaching vernacular, this reading provided me with a hook into much of the content I would go on to study. These hooks were inextricable from the narrative. The personal feud between such eminent minds was fascinating, the childhood genius awe-inspiring, and the unsolved hypothesis illuminated a rich context of ongoing research and inquiry. As per my previous blog post on Story-telling in Mathematics I am a strong proponent of the history of mathematics being included in the curriculum. The simple justification is that hooks improve learning.
The personal feud between Newton and Leibniz would be high on my list for inclusion within the (A-Level) curriculum, and is covered in detail in Jason Bardi’s The Calculus Wars. Newton of course was a towering figure in science and mathematics, but having developed the foundational ideas of calculus he kept much of his work private for decades. His reluctance to publish stemmed from perfectionism and a fear of criticism, which allowed Leibniz to independently discover calculus, and publish his findings first. By the late 17th century, the question of who was due credit had become a matter of national pride, fueling a fierce public dispute. The conflict took a toll on both men: Leibniz’s reputation suffered greatly, and Newton became increasingly isolated and paranoid. I assert that not only is the history intriguing, but furthermore discussion of the relative merits of the two different notations would allow KS5 learners a short period of time to contrast and compare the work of two eminent minds. Forgive me for being flippant, but to my mind adding in elements of history would be a much better use of time than quickly bolting on 3D vectors into the A-Level Maths course.
Another particularly good resource that tells a story about Isaac Newton was created by Veritasium. Suitable for A-Level learners who already have a good understanding of integral calculus, this video compares the different methods used for deducing the digits of pi, and again illuminates the genius of Newton.
Looking beyond its possible use for teaching, The Calculus Wars also poses interesting questions about the ownership of mathematics, the nature of scientific innovation, and describes in great detail the human frailties of Newton and Leibniz.
Have you read it? Do you agree with my summary of the book?
Another blog post, coming soon.
George Bowman
Founder, Maths Advance
MATHS ADVANCE BLOG 
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