In this class we will continue our examination of 5,000 years of mathematical history, the lives of some of the world’s great mathematicians, and their path-breaking discoveries. We will learn that such discoveries did not and do not occur by accident, or chance. As we study the contexts of these discoveries, we will see how they developed from the social, cultural, economic, and religious needs of their time, and were fostered or hindered by multiple influences – such as the resources provided by a wealthy leisure class, or the dire conditions of a society at war. This class does not require any special expertise in either mathematics or history. And, your instructor encourages both questions and lively discussion.