Starting from the history of mathematics in Late Modern Italy (XVIII-XX centuries): From primary sources to mathematical concepts.

The workshop intends to propose didactic paths that use materials derived from primary historical sources, accessible to secondary school students, integrated with laboratory activities. Its focus is the history of mathematics in Italy, from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. The workshop is divided into four parts: 1. The dissemination of infinitesimal calculus in Italy, by comparing two different approaches, the Leibnizian paradigm of the “differentials” and the Newtonian conceptualization of the “ultimate ratios of vanishing quantities”. 2. The science of waters as the main field of applied mathematics. 3. Re-launching Italian education and research after political unification. 4. The geometry of paper folding and the resolution of problems of third degree. All the materials related to this workshop, including slides and some supplementary worksheets, can be found on the website of Mathesis Ferrara at the link: http://dmi.unife.it/it/ricerca-dmi/mathesis/materiali-esu-9