July 1, 2007 to July 14, 2007
To help commemorate Leonhard Euler's 300th birthday, the MAA Mathematical Study Tour for 2007, scheduled for July 1-14, will be an Euler tour, visiting his birthplace, Basel, and the two cities in which he spent his working life, St. Petersburg and Berlin. There will be five full days in St. Petersburg, with tours of the places where Euler lived and worked, and the cemetery where he is buried. There will be a visit to the Academy of Sciences to see their archive of Euler letters and manuscripts. You will also visit with Russian mathematicians at the St. Petersburg Mathematical Society and with teachers who work with talented youth as well as have the opportunity to attend a ballet performance at the famous Marinsky Theatre.
In two days in Basel, you will visit the church where Euler's father was a pastor and hear about how work is proceeding on the massive collection of Euler's collected works. There will also be visits to sites associated with Johann Bernoulli, Euler's teacher at the University of Basel.
And in four full days in Berlin, you will not only visit the Berlin Academy where Euler worked, but also learn about mathematics in the time of Weierstrass at the University of Berlin (now the Humboldt University). In addition, you will visit with mathematicians in Berlin today, to discuss common issues in mathematics education, and be able to enjoy a musical performance at one of Berlin's many musical venues.
In each city, Dr. Phyllis Katz will provide interested participants with ways to use the tour experience in teaching. She will help you formulate plans to use your photographs and other information to assist students in developing projects involving mathematics history. She will also provide suggestions how visits to museums can supplement formal teaching, and how Euler's biography, as well as that of other mathematicians, can help inspire and motivate mathematics learning. In addition, participants with expertise in any area related to the tour are encouraged to contact Dr. Victor Katz personally to discuss the possibility of sharing their knowledge with the other tour members.
TOUR LEADERS :
Victor J. Katz, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, University of the District of Columbia
Phyllis Katz, founding Executive Director (retired) Hands On Science Outreach, Inc.