Research guides: CO 480 Research: Home

Finding Inspiration

Omni, the library catalogue
Use the catalogue's advanced search to help you find mathematicians.

Using the advanced search interface
- Change the field to 'subject' and type 'mathematician*' into the search box
- The asterisk (*) will find mathematician or mathematicians
- It may also be helpful to change the results to only show books.
A note about the 'search for' options:
- You can request books that are not at Waterloo, they may take a few days to get here

The catalogue's advanced search interface

Broad searches, like the one above, are not always the best for finding underrepresented voices. Instead a search like this might be more helpful:

advanced search in the catalogue. black OR indigenous OR women OR "African American" OR woman OR "African Canadian" are searched in the title field and mathematician* is searched in the any field.

There are a number of websites you can browse to help you select a mathematician, including:

Celebratio Mathematica
Contains biographic and bibliographic information of selected scientists. These can include unpublished documents, letters, interviews, commentaries, photographs, testimonials, and varied memorabilia. From Mathematical Science Publishers.
MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
Includes biographies of mathematicians with essays and supporting materials. From the School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews.
Mathematics Genealogy Project
Attempts to list all mathematicians, including their degree information, dissertation title, and advisors. From the Department of Mathematics, North Dakota State University.
Plus
Content relating to the mathematical sciences.
Quanta Magazine
Articles about fundamental science, including math.
Wikipedia

Please note that these are not scholarly sources of information. However, they can provide an indication of how much research relating to an individual is out there. You can also mine their references for material published in books, journals, and conferences.

Encyclopedias can provide useful overviews on mathematicians and mathematical concepts. Please note that these are not considered peer reviewed research sources. However, they can be used as reliable starting points for selecting a mathematician and finding related references.

AI tools for research

Academic Integrity tips for students
Guidance from the Office of Academic Integrity on using generative AI ethically.
Comparison of AI tools for research
An incomplete list of tools, their functionality, and limitations.
Documenting AI Use
Sometimes you will be required to explain how you use AI tools in your research. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework can help guide you through the documentation and attribution process.
GenAI and discovery: Important considerations
A short introduction to the issues that have been noted when using generative AI to find information.
Microsoft Copilot from the University of Waterloo
IST recommends Microsoft Copilot because of the personal and company data protection it provides.