CO 480 Research: Home

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

Please know 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.

Remember, the mathematician you select must be born after 1550 (the example mathematician used in this guide, Omar Khayyam, does not meet this criteria).

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

Search for books or articles

Advanced search

Click on the catalogue's advanced search (see box above). Change the field to 'subject' and type 'mathematicians' into the search box.

A note about what to 'search for':

• 'Waterloo library' shows print and electronic items in the Waterloo system.
• 'Waterloo online resources' shows only electronic items in the Waterloo system.
• 'Waterloo + Laurier + Guelph' includes Laurier's and Guelph's print collection. You can request items from these libraries and usually receive them in a few days.
• 'Waterloo + Omni Libraries' includes the print collections from 13 other universities in Ontario. You can request items from these libraries and usually receive them in a week or two.