High school students recount the influence of famous mathematicians through research projects

picture of student standing in front of whiteboard presenting math projectStudents in the HVCC Intermediate Algebra course recently applied research and presentation skills to projects they completed on the greatest mathematicians in history and their contributions to today’s world.

The projects required students to research famous mathematicians to learn about their lives, their educational background, and their key contributions to the history of mathematics and its influence on modern-day applications. The students created posters and PowerPoint presentations based on their research, which were then shared with their classmates and math teacher Camelia Sofrone.

Senior Jordan Harvey presented his research on Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, who is known for the Fibonacci number sequence as described in his book “Liber Abaci” (The Book of Calculation), and his advocacy of the use of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system in Europe.

picture of student standing in front of whiteboard presenting math projectClassmate Fereshteh Nazari’s project focused on Euclid, a Greek mathematician, who is often referred to as the “father of geometry.” He is credited with developing one of the earliest known math textbooks – “Elements.”

Students who successfully complete the HVCC Intermediate Algebra course can earn up to three (3) college credits.