Last revised: July 2009
Mathematics
Scope: This guide was created to help students and faculty find information resources in the field of Mathematics. For further assistance, e-mail the subject specialist Nevenka Zdravkovska at nevenka(@umd.edu).
Table of Contents
REFERENCE WORKS
The following resources may be helpful for looking up quick facts, formulas, and explanations for math principles, theories, and applications.
- The Facts on File
Dictionary of Mathematics (2005)
EPSL Reference : QA5.F35 2005
Dictionary of important and commonly used terms uses in mathematics. - Math Dictionary
with Solutions (1999)
EPSL Reference : QA5.K692 1999
Quick reference for a range of mathematical topics from arithmetic to calculus. Each topic is provided with a definition, explanation, and problem-solving examples. - Tables of
Integral, Series and Products (2007)
EPSL Reference : QA55.G6613 2007 - Encyclopaedia of
Mathematics (1988)
EPSL Reference : QA5.M3713 1988
A ten-volume set of encyclopedias offering short explanatory articles on a wide variety of mathematical topics. - CRC Concise
Encyclopedia of Mathematics (2003)
EPSL Reference : QA5.W45 2003
Provides succinct explanations for mathematical facts, formulas, and definitions. Also available online as Wolfram MathWorld. - Guide to
Information Sources in Mathematics and Statistics (2004)
EPSL Reference : QA41.7.T83 2004
Bibliography of print and electronic resources in mathematics and statistics. - Standard Handbook
of Engineering Calculations (2005)
EPSL Reference : TA332.S73 2005
Handbook of calculation procedures for solving common engineering problems.
- Wolfram
MathWorld
A comprehensive and interactive mathematics encyclopedia intended for students, educators, math enthusiasts, and researchers. - S.O.S. Mathematics
Free, online resource offering quick summaries of mathematical topics, tables, and formulas. - Wikipedia:
Mathematics
Wikipedia's Mathematics section contains many encyclopedia articles on topics ranging from axiomatization to wavelets. - MathWorks MATLAB
Tutorial
Offers step-by-step introduction to learning basic and advanced features of MATLAB. - Science &
Engineering Encyclopedia
Science and engineering descriptions, equations, conversions, calculators and material data. Organized by A to Z, subject and interlinked. - Encyclopaedia
Britannica
Online
Contains the full-text of the 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, Webster's Third New International Dictionary Unabridged, and the Britannica Book of the Year.
LOCATING BOOKS
Locating Books at EPSLTo locate books at the library you'll need to use the UM Catalog. Often, the best way to find books on a particular topic is to browse by subject. To browse catalog subject headings, select "Subject beginning with..." as your search type and enter your search term(s). Thus, for example, a subject search for "differential equations" would return something like the following:
Click on the subject heading to view the list of books classified by
that heading.
Click here for further instructions on
searching the UM Catalog.
Another way of locating books on a particular topic may be to browse the collections directly. Books on similar topics are likely to be grouped together on the shelves. Browsing the shelves requires some familiarity with the Library of Congress Classification system. Books on mathematics are classified under call numbers beginning with QA:
| QA1-939 | Mathematics |
| QA1-43 | ....General |
| QA47-59 | ....Tables |
| QA71-90 | ....Instruments and machines |
| QA75-76.95 | ........Calculating machines |
| QA75.5-76.95 | ........Electronic computers. Computer science |
| QA76.75-76.765 | ...........Computer software |
| QA101-(145) | ....Elementary mathematics. Arithmetic |
| QA150-272.5 | ....Algebra |
| QA273-280 | ....Probabilities. Mathematical statistics |
| QA299.6-433 | ....Analysis |
| QA440-699 | ....Geometry. Trigonometry. Topology |
| QA801-939 | ....Analytic mechanics |
Click here for an overview of the
EPSL floor plan and a
tutorial on reading call numbers.
Occasionally, you may find it necessary to search for resources beyond those held by EPSL. The best tool for locating books and journals beyond holdings of the University of Maryland and its consortium libraries is WorldCat. WorldCat contains records for materials found in research libraries worldwide. However, in order to obtain materials found outside the university system you will need to request an interlibrary loan.
LOCATING ARTICLES
To locate journals in your field of interest you can conduct a Journal Search
in the UM catalog or
browse the E-Journal collections
in Research
Port. To find precise articles on a topic, however, you will want to
search some of the following
electronic databases accessible through Research Port.
Core Math Databases
The following databases are the primary electronic resources available for locating journal articles in mathematics.
- MathSciNet
Covering mathematical literature since 1940 this international database provides bibliographic data and reviews of mathematical research literature from 1700 current journals, books and other original documents. - Web of
Science (Science Citation Index)
A multidisciplinary index covering the journal literature of the sciences. It indexes more than 5,700 major journals across 164 scientific disciplines. Virtually the only index for finding what papers have cited other papers. - JSTOR
Electronic archive of core journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Includes complete runs of journals with full-text of all articles published prior to the most current five years. (Note: Click on "Advanced Search" and select Mathematics and/or Statistics from the list of subjects).
While not explicitly devoted to math topics, the following databases may contain materials related to applied mathematics:
- Inspec Archive 1868-1968
Indexes and abstracts 4,000 scientific/technical journals and conference proceedings in physics, electrical engineering, computing, and information technology. - Compendex
Database that offers a wide range of quality resources for information specialists, professionals, and researchers working in the applied science and engineering fields.
The following is a list of general, multidisciplinary databases that may be helpful for your research:
- WorldCat
Union catalog of books, journals, media, and archival materials in libraries worldwide. - Academic
Search Premier
Provides abstracts and indexing for over 7,000 journals. Full text of articles for over 4,000 scholarly publications, including more than 3,100 peer-reviewed publications. - Web of
Science (Science Citation Index)
A multidisciplinary index covering the journal literature of the sciences. It indexes more than 5,700 major journals across 164 scientific disciplines.Virtually the only index for finding what papers have cited other papers. - Ingenta
Search or browse more than 20,000 publications from the Ingenta database. Some full text is available. - Dissertations & Theses: Full Text (Digital
Dissertations)
This database is the authoritative source for information about doctoral dissertations and master's theses. The database represents the work of authors from over 1,000 graduate schools and universities.
WEB RESOURCES
The following are some math-related resources available for free on the web:
- European Mathematical Society's Information Service (EMIS)
- European Mathematical Society's Electronic Library of Mathematics
- The Jahrbuch Project: Electronic Research Archive for Mathematics (ERAM)
- World Digital Mathematics Library
- Intute Mathematics Gateway
- Cornell University Library: Historical Mathematics Monographs
- Directory of Open Access Journals: Mathematics & Statistics
- Free Electronic Mathematics Journals (UC Berkeley)
- EMIS ELibM Mathematical Journals
- DMOZ Directory of Math Journals (Note: Just a directory, not a provider of free, full-text)
- AMS Directory of Mathematics Preprint and ePrint Servers
- Internet Mathematics Library (Drexel University)
- A Catalog of Mathematics Resources on the WWW and the Internet
- Mathematics WWW Virtual Library (Florida State University)
- Statistics WWW Virtual Library (University of Florida)
- University of Delaware Library Mathematical Science Resources
- American Mathematical Society (AMS)
- American Statistical Association (ASA)
- Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM)
- International Mathematical Union (IMU)
- Mathematical Association of America (MAA)
- Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI)
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics(SIAM)
DEPARTMENTAL PAGES
The following links provide information for staying abreast with events in your department.
