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Mathematics Research Guide

Reference Materials

Reference materials can provide you with background information, major theories or researchers, and definitions of key terms. Print and selected electronic reference materials are listed in the HSU Library Catalog and may be located by adding terms such as encyclopedia?, director?, dictionar?, etc. to your search. You might also try searching for electronic and print reference materials by choosing Reference Collection (including Eref) from the pull-down "Limit To:" menu.

Biographical Information

Reference Resources - Biographical Information

  • American Men and Women of Science: Physical and Biological Sciences. 22nd edition. NY: Bowker, 2005. (Ref CT 213 A4) - Earlier editions (1944-65) are in book collection (second floor, south) (CT 213 A4). The 21st edition (2003) is available online (see link below).

  • Biographical Dictionary of American Science: the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1979. (Ref Q 141 E37) Scope: birthdates 1606-1867.

  • Biographical Encyclopedia of Mathematicians.  New York : Marshall Cavendish, c1999.  (Ref QA 28 B544 1999) - 2 volume work

  • Cook, Mariana Ruth. Mathematicians: an outer view of the inner world. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 2009. (QA 28 C559 2009) - This book contains photographs of 92 current mathematicians along with brief autobiographical accounts of what drives them to pursue mathematics. Includes famous mathematcians such as John Nash (subject of the film A Beautiful Mind) and Benoit Mandelbrot (fractals in geometry and nature).

  • Dictionary of Scientific Biography. NY: Scribner, 1970-. (Ref Q 141 D5) - 18 volume set.

  • McElroy, Tucker. A to Z of Mathematicians. New York : Facts On File, c2005. (QA 28 M395 2005)

  • National Academy of Sciences. Biographical Memoirs (see link below). Washington: National Academy of Sciences. (Q 141 N2) Series of volumes containing brief biographies of deceased members of the National Academy of Sciences and bibliographies of their published scientific contributions. (HSU Library has vol. 26-82 in print format.) - Latest volume has cumulative index for entire series. All 1500+ memoirs are also available online through the publisher's site (see link below). They may also be found by searching the HSU Library Catalog for the title Biographical Memoirs and selecting Electronic Books from the pull-down "Limit To:" menu(see link below).

  • Poggendorff, J.C. J. C. Poggendorffs biographisch-literarisches Handwörterbuch für Mathematik, Astronomie, Physik mit Geophysik, Chemie, Kristallographie und verwandte Wissensgebiete ... Leipzig: J.A. Barth, 1863-. (Ref Q 141 P64) Authoritative German language handbook series. Full biographical information and published works of mathematicians and other physical science scientists of all countries. Article titles are cited in the language in which they were published.

  • Young, Robyn V.  Notable Mathematicians : From Ancient Times to the Present.  Detroit: Gale, 1998. (Ref QA 28 N66 1998)

Reference Resources - General

  • CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics. 2nd edition. Boca Raton : Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2003. (Ref QA 5 W45 2003)

  • Mathematical Society of Japan. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mathematics. 2nd edition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1987. (Ref QA 5 I8313 1987) - 4 volume set

Reference Resources - History of Science and Mathematics

  • Grattan-Guinness, I., ed. Companion Encyclopedia of the History and Philosophy of the Mathematical Sciences. London: Routledge, 1994. (Ref QA 21 C645 1994) - 2 volume set

  • ISIS Cumulative Bibliography: A Bibliography of the History of Science. London: Mansell, 1971-  Coverage: 6 volume set covers 1913-65 (Ref Q 125 I85); 2 volume set covers 1966-75 (Ref Q 125 I852); 2 volume set covers 1976-85 (Ref Q 125 I853 1989); 4 volume set covers 1986-95 (Ref Q 125 I853 1997)

  • Parkinson, Claire L. Breakthroughs : A Chronology of Great Achievements in Science and Mathematics, 1200-1930.  Boston, MA : G.K. Hall, 1985.  (Ref Q 125 P327 1985)

Reference Resources - Women in Science and Mathematics

  • Changing the Curve: Women in Computing, UC Berkeley resource and infographic

  • Grinstein, Louise and Campbell, Paul J., eds. Women of Mathematics: A Biobibliographic Sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1987. (Ref QA 28 W66 1987)

  • McGrayne, Sharon Bertsch. Nobel Prize Women in Science: Their Lives, Struggles, and Momentous Discoveries. 2nd edition. Seacaucus NJ: Carol Pub. Group, 1998. (Ref Q 141 M358 1998) - also available as an electronic book (see link below).

  • Morrow, Charlene and Perl, Teri, eds. Notable Women in Mathematics : A Biographical Dictionary. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1998. (Ref QA 28 N68 1998)

  • Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey.  The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science : Pioneering Lives from Ancient Times to the Mid-20th Century.  New York : Routledge, 2000.  (Ref Q 141 B5285 2000) - 2 volumes

  • Siegel, Patricia Joan and Finley, Kay Thomas. Women in the Scientific Search: An American Bio-bibliography, 1724-1979. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1985. (Ref Q 141 S54) Has a chapter on mathematicians.

  • Yount, Lisa.  A to Z of Women in Science and Math.  New York, NY : Facts on File, c1999.  (Ref Q 141 Y675 1999)