Los Estudios de Matemáticas en la Universidad de Alcalá en Tiempos de Carlos III y sus Precedentes

Abstract

In the course of the seventeenth century, the studies of mathematics in Spanish universities had almost disappeared, and this situation continued in part of the eighteenth century, as will be seen here. The main purpose of this paper is to find whether the reforming spirit from the reign of Carlos III had an impact on the teaching of mathematics at the University of Alcalá. For this purpose, the reforms and syllabus that were established were analyzed and the books of mathematics recommended were examined. It is concluded that, indeed, the presence of mathematics increased, with the inclusion of two courses of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts, and the level of their contents evolved positively, incorporating to its studies the modern European mathematics that had emerged within the Scientific Revolution.