Question about referencing for project work

[titaniumx3]

I'm doing a project for my uni course (maths, 3rd year) and I'm not sure about how I should reference some stuff.

For example, say I'm quoting a theorem from a book where the author in turn is quoting a theorem from the original source; should I reference the original source (even though I don't have it) or should I reference the book I do have? (i.e. the secondary source)

I would really appreciate some help on this.

 

[titaniumx3]

For example say if I make the following statement in my project:

To appreciate the profoundness of the limit concept as given by Bolzano and Cauchy we return to Cauchy’s definition:

“When the values successively attributed to the same variable approach a fixed value indefinitely, in such a way as to end up by differing from it as little as one could wish, this last value is called the limit of all the others.”

And I get the quotation from:

Carl B. Boyer, A History of Mathematics, (New York 1968, p.563)

Who originally gets it from:

Vol. III of Cauchy's Oeuvres complètes (Paris 1882-1932, 25 vols)

How should I present this? (using Havard system)

 

[titaniumx3]

Your university should have a referencing guide somewhere on their site... mine has.

Yeah it's basically the standard havard system, but the guide doesn't mention anything about my question (hence my question).

I would ask my tutor but I'm a bit pushed for time, lol.

 

[titaniumx3]

Virtually all my quotes are from secondary sources hence its important to reference it adequately.

Anyway, I read the Nottingham Uni guide TomWilko (thanks!) posted and I think putting "see" in the brackets is the best idea so, from the example in my last post I shall present it as follows:

To appreciate the profoundness of the limit concept as given by Bolzano and Cauchy we return to Cauchy’s definition:

“When the values successively attributed to the same variable approach a fixed value indefinitely, in such a way as to end up by differing from it as little as one could wish, this last value is called the limit of all the others.” (see Boyer, 1968, p.563)

That should be fine I guess?

 

[titaniumx3]

The thing is with my project, it's almost impossible to get primary sources because they're all either foreign language or some sort of dodgy old english jibber jabber. That's why practically every citation i've put down is from a secondary source.

I've not put down references which I don't have but I have used google books occasionally but nothing that can't be found in a library.

In any I'm just using the refrencing system that comes with word 2007 (harvard system) and it works well; I just have to put "cited by" in all my citations now.