First, expansion: the history of mathematics is a science that studies the occurrence, development and laws of mathematical science. In short, it is to study the history of mathematics. It not only traces the evolution and development process of mathematics contents, ideas and methods, but also explores various factors affecting this process and the influence of the development of mathematics science on human civilization in history.
Therefore, the research object of the history of mathematics not only includes specific mathematical contents, but also involves social sciences and humanities such as history, philosophy, culturology and religion, which is an interdisciplinary subject.
Second, the scientific significance of the history of mathematics: every science has its development history. As a historical science, it is both historic and realistic. Its reality is first manifested in the continuity of scientific concepts and methods. Today's scientific research is to some extent the deepening and development of scientific tradition in history, or the solution of scientific problems in history, so we can't separate the relationship between scientific reality and scientific history.
Mathematical science has a long history. Compared with natural science, mathematics is an accumulative science, and its concepts and methods are more continuous. For example, the decimal notation and the four arithmetic rules formed in ancient civilization have been used to this day. Historical issues such as Fermat's conjecture and Goldbach's conjecture have long been hot topics in the field of modern number theory, and materials of mathematical tradition and history can be developed in practical mathematical research.
Many famous mathematicians at home and abroad have profound cultivation or research on the history of mathematics, and are good at drawing nutrients from historical materials, making the past serve the present and bringing forth the new.
Wu Wenjun, a famous mathematician in China, made outstanding achievements in the field of topology research in his early years. In the 1970s, he began to study the history of Chinese mathematics, which opened up a new situation in the research theory and method of the history of Chinese mathematics. Especially inspired by China's traditional thoughts of mathematical mechanization, he established a mathematical mechanization method for mechanical proof of geometric theorems, which was called "Wu Fa" in history. His works are worthy of being a model of making the past serve the present and revitalizing national culture.