Anyone who has taken a history of mathematics course can describe in great detail how the ancient Greeks’ primary contribution to mathematics was the development of formal geometry and how Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz are the founders of calculus. However, very few people who take a history of mathematics course will be able to describe how the ancient Babylonians helped in the development of trigonometry or describe how in the late 1970s to the early 1980s Graciela Beatriz Salicrup López became a pioneer in the field of categorical topology.

The special session on unspoken history of mathematics will help shine a light on different cultures and historical figures that normally might not be covered in a traditional history of mathematics courses. Attendees to the Unspoken History of Mathematics will not only participate in talks that help shine a light on different cultures and historical figures but also help in revamping history of mathematics courses by creating units or projects that delve into the history of mathematics beyond western Europe to help students understand how diverse and rich the history of mathematics truly is.