Homework for OCT 13

 I think it is important to acknowledge non-European sources of mathematics because it promotes respect for other cultures. When only European sources of math are acknowledged, students tend to develop an understanding that only Europe is the origin of all creations in math/science. They would have unnecessary ego for their own ethnicity. When we acknowledge other cultures’ mathematical discoveries, we tend to have some level of humility, especially when some of the theorems claimed to be European are actually from China.

For instance, “The method of the double-false-was first described in Jiu Zhang suanshu,indicating the method was known in China around 50 AD. Subsequently, the method was transferred to Muslim mathematicians at some point and then on to Europeans sometime during the Middle Ages. It then was brought back to China by the Jesuit missionaries, who claimed the method as their own.”

 

Also,“accounts and facts of Greek work during this time tilt more on the side of legend than fact. No proof has been uncovered that Pythagoras was the one who actually proved the theorem; it has only been attributed to him by others. Historians have speculated that all work done at the Pythagorean School was credited to Pythagorean. Because no proof exists it is difficult to determine the methods Pythagoras used if he did indeed prove the theorem.”

 

Since it was attributed to the Pythagoras, it was called Pythagoreans’ theorem ever since. However, it is still unclear whether this method was really developed by the Pythagoras or it was transferred from China. The name is just an attribution but it may not represent the whole truth of the history. It is okay if Europeans don’t want to attribute it to another culture but it kind of represents their attitude towards this naming issue. Similarly for Pascal’s Triangle: “it is named after the French mathematician Blaise Pascal, although other mathematicians studied it centuries before him in India, Persia (Iran), China, Germany, and Italy.”” Pascal's triangle was known in China in the early 11th century through the work of the Chinese mathematician Jia Xian (1010–1070). In the 13th century, Yang Hui (1238–1298) presented the triangle and hence it is still called Yang Hui's triangle (杨辉三角; 楊輝三角) in China”  It is understandable but it just ignores other cultures’ contribution to the mathematical world. It shows some part of the ego but still, every culture is proud of its own creation. When we now know the facts, we could tell our students about these histories so that they would have a better understanding of how other cultures contributed to the development of math as well.