The Authors@Alden series features Ohio University alum Dr. Ronald Calinger ’63 on Tuesday, April 12, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the 1951 Lounge on the fourth floor of Alden Library.
Dr. Ronald Calinger
Calinger, Professor Emeritus of history at the Catholic University of America, will speak on the life, work and contributions of Swiss-born mathematician, physicist and theoretical astronomer Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), which inspired his latest book, “Leonhard Euler: Mathematical Genius in the Enlightenment.”
He earned a B.A. in History from the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University.
The event will include an interview by Dr. Bob Klein, Associate Professor of Mathematics, followed by a question-and-answer session.
An accompanying exhibit titled, “Beyond Numbers: Stories in the History of Mathematics,” will complement the presentation and is on display on the fourth floor of Alden Library from April 11 to May 30.
Calinger describes his return to Ohio University as “exciting” and says that the history of mathematics can inform the research of students in the sciences and liberal arts. As an alumnus, Calinger has many fond memories of his time at OHIO.
“I was there fifty years ago, so much has changed,” said Calinger. “One summer, I walked across campus daily with President Baker. I had a 7 a.m. history class, and he was on his way to his office.”
Calinger, an expert in the history of mathematics and science from the 17th through 20th centuries, earned his B.A. in history and mathematics from Ohio University, an M.A. in European history from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in the history of science from the University of Chicago. He has authored and edited eight books including “Classics of Mathematics” (1982), “Vita Mathematica: Historical Research and Integration with Teaching,” (1996) and “A Contextual History of Mathematics: To Euler” (1999), among others.
Read more about “A Conversation with Ronald Calinger.”
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