Why Teach History of Mathematics?
Integrating the history of mathematics into our math classes is not dispensable because the fusion of math and its history can demonstrate how the mathematical idea was invented and what we can learn from those mathematicians’ problem-solving techniques. Although history might be boring to some students, I believe that incorporating math history into our daily teaching in an appropriate manner can stimulate students’ motivation. For instance, before introducing the Pythagorean theorem to our students, we can present the vast chronicle of the theorem and arouse students’ curiosity by asking them who is credited with the invention of the theorem.
“No mathematical idea has ever been published in the way it was discovered. Techniques have been developed and are used, if a problem has been solved, to turn the solution procedure upside down . . . [and turn] the hot invention into icy beauty,” the quote taken from Freudenthal makes me reflect on our current didactic method. I begin to understand why many students are losing their interests in mathematics. The fact-based teaching and the industrialized assessment system make us focus on developing a solution procedure that can help students succeed in tests instead of showing them the inspiring history of mathematics. Another thing that inspires me in the article is the implementation of historical problems with no solution. For example, Euclid’s parallel postulate provides both teachers and students an valuable opportunity to delve in Euclidean geometry, thus fostering independent learners who might be interested in geometry. I can imagine students being motivated when they see those brilliant mathematicians spending decades on proving whether two parallel lines will intersect at a point.
After reading the article, I realize that there are many approaches for us to integrate the history of mathematics in the classroom. In addition to presenting biographies of mathematicians and historical backgrounds corresponding to the mathematical ideas, we can also arouse students’ curiosity by showing them the historical problems that are still unsolved or have been solved. For example, we can start the topic of calculus with Zeno's Dichotomy Paradox and explain the idea of infinity to our students . Moreover, as a teacher candidate of mathematics, it is our responsibility to acquire a basic knowledge of the historical evolution of the subject so that we are capable of presenting the beauty of mathematics in front of our students.
Reference:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N6PEU0vlHx_wEyureWj-K_w4VUMFE7LI/view?usp=sharing
It is interesting that introducing the history of mathematics to students may also change their notion of the ways that we think of and study history. Connecting trade, food, and technological developments in particular place, culture, and time to mathematical thinking and then also to ways of reasoning can be exciting, and motivating. I completely agree that all students should be provided the opportunity to think philosophically, intuitively, and long about mathematics through introducing topics like the concept of infinity and Zeno's Dichotomy Paradox.
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