Mathematical Sciences

Reference Sources | Mathematics Journals | Indexes and Databases
Locating Full Text of Journal Articles | Selected Internet Sites
Guide to Library Research in Science | Need Help?

This page describes a few of the many print and electronic resources that will be useful for research in mathematics.

Reference Sources

Encyclopedias | Dictionaries | Handbooks

Reference sources are helpful in locating many types of specific information. They may provide a brief definition of an unfamiliar term, a more in-depth summary of a concept, or a comprehensive treatment of a subject. Some provide statistical information or physical data in the form of tables, graphs, and charts. Some biographical sources provide basic directory information about an individual scientist while others provide details about his or her life and contribution to science. Many reference sources serve as tools for accessing more information about a topic. The Timken Science Library has many reference sources that will be useful for locating information in each of the science disciplines. The following is a list of sources relevant to mathematics. For a more extensive database of science reference sources available at the College, see Selected Bibliography of Science Reference Sources.

Encyclopedias

AccessScience@McGraw-Hill: The Online Encyclopedia: This is the electronic access version of McGraw-Hill’s Encyclopedia of Science and Technology WOO Science Reference Q121 .M3 2002 v.1-20, a highly technical encyclopedia in the sciences. In the Web environment the database provides full search capabilities, regular updates, science and technology news, recent research developments, an online dictionary and a well-developed subject directory of web links.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mathematics WOO Science Reference QA5 .I8313 1987 v.1-4: This four-volume encyclopedia is a source of significant information in all fields of mathematics, both pure and applied.
Encyclopaedia of Mathematics WOO Science Reference QA5 .M3713 1988 v.1-10: The articles in this 10-volume set vary from short definitions to long survey-type pieces dealing with the major directions in mathematics. Most articles include lists of references for further study. A detailed index and extensive internal cross-references facilitate access to information.
CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics WOO Science Reference QA5 .W45 2003: This comprehensive encyclopedia/dictionary/handbook is a compendium of mathematical definitions, formulas, figures, tabulations and references. Entries are cross-referenced to related articles within the volume and references are provided to the journal literature and to relevant Internet sites. The second edition also integrates the use of the mathematics software into many entries.
Encyclopedia of Statistical Sciences WOO Science Reference QA276.14 .E5 1982 and Supp. v.1: This 10-volume encyclopedia provides information about topics in statistical theory and the applications of statistical methods.
Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science WOO Science Reference T57.6 .E53 1996: This book provides an overview of the “ideas, methodologies and synergistic forces that combine to form the preeminent decision-aiding fields of operations research and management science.” — Preface. Articles provide background and historical information, applications, trends and references.

Dictionaries

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms WOO Science Reference Q123 .M15 2003: This dictionary is intended for the scientific and engineering specialist as well as for the “nonspecialist needing a comprehensive yet accessible resource for scientific terminology.” It includes 110,000 terms with 125,000 definitions, each of which is identified by its field of use. — Preface
The Facts on File Dictionary of Mathematics WOO Science Reference QA5 .F35 1999: Contains definitions of more than 2,000 words in mathematics and computer science. An appendix contains information on formulae and conversion factors.
The Cambridge Dictionary of Statistics WOO Science Reference QA276.15 .E84 1998: Provides concise definitions of terms in all areas of statistics, including theoretical, applied and medical statistics.
A Dictionary of Inequalities WOO Science Reference QA295 .B86 1998: This dictionary provides access to inequalities by name or by subject, with reference to selected sources where proofs and other information can be found.
Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics online: This undergraduate dictionary includes the fields of pure and applied mathematics and statistics as well as fractals, game theory and chaos. It also features of important mathematicians.

Handbooks

Handbook of Mathematics and Computational Science WOO Science Reference QA40 .S76 1998: This handbook provides a reference guide for rapid access to mathematical information and the basics of computer science. It contains tables of functions, formulae, transformation, and series. It also includes definitions of important words, useful examples and practical applications, and sample programming sequences.
Handbook of Writing for the Mathematical Sciences WOO Science Reference QA42 .H54 1998: In addition to covering English usage and the structure of a research paper, this manual addresses the entire publication process, writing and delivering a talk, writing and defending a thesis, and the use of computers in research and writing.
CRC Standard Mathematical Tables and Formulae WOO Science Reference QA47 .M315 2003: Provides basic mathematical reference material required for mathematics, engineering and the physical sciences.
Table of Integrals, Series and Products WOO Science Reference QA55 .G6613 1980: This handbook contains a comprehensive collection of tables of integrals, series and products.
Handbook of Combinatorics WOO Science Reference QA164 .H33 1995 v.1-2: This two-volume handbook presents a “comprehensive and accessible view of the present state of the field” of combinatorics for mathematicians and computer scientists. — Preface. The handbook is divided into five sections: Structures, Aspects, Methods, Applications and Horizons.
CRC Handbook of Tables for Probability and Statistics WOO Science Reference QA276.25 .C73 1968: This handbook brings together a collection of standard statistical tables grouped under the headings of probability and statistics; normal distribution; binomial, Poisson, hypergeometric and negative binomial distributions; student’s t-distribution; chi-square distribution; F-distribution; order statistics; range and studentized range; correlation coefficient; non-parametric statistics; quality control; miscellaneous statistical tables; and miscellaneous mathematical tables.
Handbook of Parametric and Nonparametric Statistical Procedures WOO Science Reference QA276.25 .S54 2000: Provides researchers and students in mathematics, statistics, the social and biological sciences, business, and education with comprehensive reference information on univariate and bivariate statistical procedures. While the book is applications-oriented, it also addresses theoretical issues.
An Atlas of Functions WOO Science Reference QA331 .S685 1987: This source provides “algorithms for the calculation of most functions to more than seven-digit precision and computer generated maps that may be read to two or three figures.” — Preface

Mathematics Journals

Scholarly journals are usually considered the most important primary source of information in science. The three major functions of scientific communication are establishing intellectual property, evaluating work through the peer-review process and serving as a vehicle for disseminating information. A few of the many magazines and journals of interest to students of mathematics include:

American Mathematical Monthly WOO Science Periodicals QA1 .A515 and online (JSTOR)*
Chance WOO Science Periodicals QA276 .A1 C45
The College Mathematics Journal WOO Science Periodicals QA11 .A1 T9 and online (JSTOR)
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education WOO Science Periodicals QA11 .A1 JC8
Mathematics Magazine WOO Science Periodicals QA1 .N35 and online (JSTOR)
Operations Research WOO Science Periodicals Q175 .O63 and online (JSTOR)
UMAP Journal WOO Science Periodicals QA11 .A1 U12

*JSTOR is a digital archive of important scholarly journals in many discplines. You may view a list of mathematics journals available through JSTOR at their site.

Indexes and Databases

Print and electronic indexes and abstracts provide access to the enormous quantity of science information published in widely-dispersed primary scientific literature found in journal articles. The libraries’ Databases by Title page provides access to all databases available to the college community. Online help is available within each search system and database. In addition to General Databases, there are many databases that focus entirely on the sciences. Selected Databases for Research in Science provides descriptions of the science-related databases. Indexes and databases that are especially useful for locating information in mathematics include:

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost): This database provides indexing/abstracts to more than 4360 scholarly journals, popular magazines and journals of commentary. It offers full text access to more than 3430 of those publications/journals covering a wide variety of academic areas of study, including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts and literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies. This database is updated on a daily basis. Coverage for some titles is from the early 1970s to the present.
ArticleFirst [FirstSearch] (1990 to present): Indexes nearly 12,500 journals in science, technology, medicine, social science, business, the humanities and popular culture. Updated daily.
Books in Print [FirstSearch] (1979 to present): Provides access to more than 1.8 million records of in-print, out-of-print and forthcoming books from more than 44,000 North American publishers. Updated weekly.
Compendex [OSearch] (1969 to present) Compendex Historical (1884-1968): This database contains more than 1.7 million abstracts and full bibliographic citations for worldwide engineering and technical literature and encompasses all engineering disciplines, as well as related fields in science and management. It includes journal articles, conference proceedings and individual conference papers, technical reports, monographs and other materials. The database indexes more than 2600 published journals. Updated monthly.
Computers and Applied Sciences Complete: This database provides indexing for more than 1,300 academic journals, professional publications and other reference sources in subject areas related to the many engineering disciplines, computer theory and systems, new technologies, and the business and social implications of those technologies. Full text is available for more than 500 periodicals.
INSPEC [OSearch] (1969 to present) INSPEC Archive (1898-1968): Covers the literature of physics, electrical engineering and electronics, computing and control, and information technology. Also covers oceanography, geophysics, biomedical engineering and biophysics. Indexes more than 4000 journals, conference proceedings, books, reports and dissertations.
JSTOR: JSTOR is a digital archive of important scholarly journals in many disciplines. Coverage begins with volume 1 of each journal and extends to three to five years from the present, in a moving wall. You may view a list of mathematics journals available through JSTOR at their Web site. (NOTE: Using the JSTOR search function only retrieves articles from journals in the JSTOR archive.)
MathSciNet [American Mathematical Society] (1940 to present): MathSciNet provides access to bibliographic information and reviews of articles, books and conference proceedings that contain new contributions to mathematical research.
OhioLINK Electronic Journals Center: The Search function of OhioLINK EJC permits users to search the current OhioLINK database of electronic journals, including titles from Academic Press, American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, Elsevier Science, Institute of Physics, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Royal Society of Chemistry, Springer-Verlag, Wiley and other publishers. (NOTE: Using the OhioLINK EJC search function only retrieves articles from journals available electronically through the EJC. While this may provide a good starting place, a comprehensive search usually requires use of one or more discipline-specific databases.)
Science Citation Index Expanded [ISI]: This multidisciplinary database covering the journal literature of science provides basic subject and author searching as well as cited reference searching. This feature is useful because it allows you to search the database for articles that cite a known author or work. SCI, one of three databases in ISI’s Web of Science, indexes more than 5700 major journals across 164 scientific disciplines from 1980 to the present.
WorldCat [FirstSearch]

Locating Full Text of Journal Articles

Once you have retrieved citations to relevant articles from print indexes and abstracts, electronic research databases, bibliographies and other sources, you will need to determine whether they are available at the College of Wooster. Many articles are available by linking from within an electronic database, but other articles may be available in print, microform or online that are not accessible by direct link from a database.

To determine whether the college has access to a particular journal title in any format, search by title from the Wooster e-Journals and Journals page. You may also browse a complete list of journal titles by subject category from the same page.

For a more detailed description of how to determine whether a journal article is available at Wooster, see Lesson 9: Finding Full Text of Journal Articles in the Guide to Library Research in Science.

Selected Internet Sites

Gateways | Reference Sources | Preprint and E-Print Servers
Biographical Sources | Professional Organizations

Gateways

Librarians’ Index to the Internet: Mathematics: The Librarians’ Index to the Internet is a searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 11,000 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians. Sites are arranged by major categories (e.g., science, computers and technology) and then further subdivided. Each entry includes the title of the site and a description, the URL, subject classification, the creator of the record and the date of the most recent update.
Catalogue of Mathematics Internet Resources: From BUBL LINK / 5:15, this web site is a catalogue of selected Internet resources covering all academic subject areas. All items are selected, evaluated, cataloged and described. The index to resources in each subject area are in alphabetical order. Listings under each subject heading include the title (linked to the site), a description and the author or sponsor of the site.
MathGuide: “The MathGuide is an Internet-based subject gateway to scholarly relevant information in mathematics, located at the Lower Saxony State and University Library, Göttingen (Germany). Resources are described and evaluated with a set of Dublin Core metadata.” Resources can be browsed by subject or source type. The search engine has both simple and advanced options.
Mathematics WWW Virtual Library: This virtual library of mathematics-related resources is maintained by the Department of Mathematics at Florida State University. It provides access to bibliographies, general resources, online books, resources on science and math, and much more.

Reference Sources

Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures: This is a dictionary of algorithms, algorithmic techniques, data structures, archetypical problems and related definitions. Entries are listed by area (e.g., combinatorics, cryptography and compression, graphs, etc.) and by type (e.g., classic problems, algorithms, data structures, etc.), and some have links to implementation and further information. The site was created by Paul Black of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and is hosted by NIST.
Math2.org (Formerly “Dave’s Math Tables”): This site provides a collection of tables in general mathematics, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics.
MathWorld: This electronic encyclopedia of mathematics contains interactive elements such as animated graphics and hyperlinked terms which link to definitions. It contains references at the end of each description, many of which link to related web sites or to Amazon.com records for cited books. This site is hosted and sponsored by Wolfram Research, Inc., the creators of Mathematica.
Martindale’s Reference Desk: Calculators On-Line Center: Mathematics: This site contains a collection of math calculators ranging from the very simple to complex. It is hosted by the University of California, Irvine Science Library.
Mathematical Atlas: A Gateway to Modern Mathematics: “This is a collection of short articles designed to provide an introduction to the areas of modern mathematics and pointers to further information, as well as answers to some common (or not!) questions. The material is arranged in a hierarchy of disciplines, each with its own index page.” The site was created by Dave Rusin, associate professor of mathematics at Northern Illinois University. Navigation options include browsing from a list of subject headings, searching by keyword, clicking within the “MathMap” or taking a tour of the subfields of mathematics.
The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences: This searchable database contains more than 83,000 number sequences. Typical entries include an ID number, the beginning sequence, sequence name or description, relevant literature, references, formulas or generating functions, and programming in Maple and Mathematica.
The Wolfram Functions Site: This resource is a compilation of elementary and special functions that are significant in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering.

Preprint and e-Print Servers

Directory of Mathematics Preprint and e-Print Servers: Maintained by the American Mathematical Society, this directory provides access to e-print and preprint servers worldwide.
ArXiv.org e-Print Archive: ArXiv is an e-print service in the fields of physics, mathematics, non-linear science and computer science. ArXiv is owned, operated and funded by Cornell University. ArXiv is also partially funded by the National Science Foundation.

Biographical Sources

Indexes of Biographies: This site indexes more than 1500 biographies of mathematicians from ancient times to the present. The biographies, which are one to two pages in length, were written by two professors in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of St. Andrews. Entries contain references, links to other information and sometimes photographs of subjects.
Women Mathematicians: This site, created and maintained by students of mathematics at Agnes Scott College, contains more that 100 biographies of famous women mathematicians. Entries are listed alphabetically or chronologically and include references to further information and a portrait of the subject.

Professional Organizations

American Mathematical Society: The mission of the AMS is to further mathematical research and scholarship. In addition to membership information and announcements of upcoming conferences, meetings and employment opportunities, the web site provides access to information about society journals and the MathSciNet database.
American Statistical Association: The American Statistical Association (ASA) is a scientific and educational society founded “to promote excellence in the application of statistical science across the wealth of human endeavor.” The web site provides access to information about career opportunities, education at all levels, meetings, publications and related links.
Association for Women in Mathematics: AWM is an organization dedicated to encouraging women and girls in the mathematical sciences. The web site includes links to the organization’s newsletter, information about programs and workshops, education and career opportunities, and much more.
Mathematical Association of America: The Mathematical Association of America focuses on undergraduate mathematics education. The site includes feature articles, columns, book reviews, information about special interest groups and programs, an online bookstore for MAA publications and more.
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics: The mission of SIAM is to advance the application of mathematics and computational science to engineering, industry, science and society. The site contains infomation about the membership, publications, conferences, activities and professional opportunities.

Guide to Library Research in Science

In an increasingly complex information environment, it is important that individuals develop the ability to determine when and what kind of information is needed, and to locate, evaluate, and use it effectively. Science Librarian Donna Jacobs has prepared a Guide to Library Research in Science, which consists of several integrated lessons, to help you with each stage of your library research.

Need Help?

Donna Jacobs
Science Librarian
330/263-2280