2002 Sci/Tech Web Awards: MATHEMATICS

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This site lives up to its billing as "The Web's Most Extensive Mathematics Resource." Whatever you are interested in regarding numbers, geometry, mathematical theory and so forth, it's here in one form or another. Among the subjects covered are: calculus and analysis, discrete mathematics, algebra, geometry and topology. Each topic area leads to an exhaustive listing of the various elements, and finally to detailed pages on each.

The MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive

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The development of our most basic science, mathematics, can be followed through the lives of the men and women who explored its mysteries and thereby extended our understanding of the field. This Web site contains a collection of more the 1,500 biographies of mathematicians from ancient times to the present. It also features articles on the mathematical systems of principal world civilizations.

The Math Forum

Drexel University's Math Forum is one of the Internet's premier resources and provides information interchanges for math teachers and researchers. In addition, it lists famous problems in the history of mathematics, has an Ask Dr. Math forum and discusses key issues for math today.

A Brief History of Mechanical Calculators

If you think the topic of calculators must be about as interesting as watching paint dry, you're in for a pleasant surprise. This well-written Web essay by James Redin leads the visitor through the fascinating historical evolution of calculating machines, from the abacus to Babbage's differential machine to today's computers.

Introduction to Cryptography

With the ever-increasing importance of computers and the Internet comes a parallel rise in the significance of protecting information via cryptography, an endlessly arcane field with a very long history. Though necessarily somewhat complex, this site does a good job of introducing the visitor to the basics of this enigmatic topic.

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