Answered By: ESC Sara
Last Updated: Jul 28, 2023     Views: 58

If you search non-western contributions to calculus in our library databases, you won't get many good search results because this is too broad and vague.

Brainstorm the words and phrases authors would use to describe the topic, and be specific. For example, there were quite a few non-western cultures that contributed ideas to calculus, so you will need to specify which culture or country you want to research. 

You may already have cultures in mind from your course readings, or you may wish to do some background searches on the Web before searching the library's databases.

When you are ready to search in the library, start at OneSearch on the library's homepage, and try entering search combinations using calculus AND [the culture/civilization you are researching], such as:

calculus AND India

calculus AND Persia

calculus AND Cyprus
 

Alternately, when you complete your background research on the Web, you will discover names of non-western mathematicians, which will make your keywords and research even more focused. For example:

calculus AND Archimedes

calculus AND "ibn al-Haytham"

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