880 MATH PROSEMINAR OUTLINE 42 1. 2.
JT SMITH SPRING 2008
Assignment a. We'll have time in the course for discussion of another topics. Suggestions? Digging for sources a. We continued researching the source of Sylvester's criterion. b. Sometimes a good source is a book on the history of a particular area of mathematics: in this case linear algebra. c. But I don't know of a good source on that subject. I could search some, but choose not to at this point. d. A general history of mathematics might be helpful. I looked at Kline 1972, which is, sometimes, but is so comprehensive that it might lack depth in this case. e. There I found a discussion of Sylvester's work on determinants, but not on his criterion. It suggested papers in the same part of the collected works. f. We searched the SFSU Investigator and Link+ online catalogs for the collected works, unsuccessfully. g. As an SFSU student, you should then locate precise information about the book, before ordering it via the ILLIAD interlibrary loan service. This service is fantastic. But remember that a human reads your online request, probably a student assistant. The more precise a description you can give, the better. Particularly in foreign-language situations, or with very obscure items, I'll tell that person where I've found the item in another library's catalog. That at least identifies it. h. Next, we checked the combined UC Melvyl catalog. The collected works is in fact available at Berkeley. Had I not found it there, I would have tried the Harvard University Hollis catalog. i. Melvyl told us that the collected works are on the shelf in the Mathematics Library in Evans hall. I go there about once a month, next probably during the last week of May. I'll look at volume and 1 report back to you and Prof. Ardila via email. j. You can use the Evans library, too. Do check the hours, which are not as convenient as SFSU's. The stacks are open, and you can browse and photocopy items at will. The best way is to buy from a machine a photocopy card that's valid campuswide, so you don't have to fumble with cash. k. Most other UC Berkeley departmental libraries are open, too. The main underground library in the center of campus is not, but I think you can arrange to use it for a fee, which will entitle you to borrow stuff campuswide. I have privileges through my Berkeley visiting-scholar appointment (which costs me $200(?) per year and requires renewal by some Berkeley faculty member each year. Nonretired SFSU faculty commonly arrange privileges there for free via a letter from the SFSU provost.
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MATH 880 SPRING 2008 OUTLINE 42
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The UC NRLF library stores the overflow from all Northern California UC libraries. Melvyl lists its holdings. NRLF is easily accessible by car from...