9.11-Response to Crest of the Peacock introduction

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I'm so amazed! The Mesopotamians had such advanced mathematical knowledge so long ago! Their invention of the place value system and methods for solving quadratic equations are still incredible today. Not to mention, they even discovered the Pythagorean theorem! This completely overturns my understanding of ancient mathematics. It turns out that human intelligence was so brilliant even in the distant past, which is truly admirable!

This image makes me wonder how people in ancient times gradually built up mathematics. Mathematics is not the sole possession of any civilization; it is the collective fruit of human intellect. Between different civilizations, people formed a vast network, their understanding of the world flowing like rivers, intertwining and expanding, eventually shaping the grand tapestry of mathematics.

In my history studies, I've long focused on politics, economics, and culture. We often concentrate on tangible technological advancements like papermaking and the compass, overlooking the abstract and intangible exchange of knowledge such as mathematics. Perhaps because mathematical concepts are abstract and leave little physical evidence. I was surprised to learn that "the Chinese remainder theorem" and "Qin Jiushao's algorithm," which I thought were solely known to the Chinese, had actually spread overseas long ago.

 

Comments

  1. Erica HuangOctober 4, 2024 at 3:33 PM

    Great reflection, Nanxi! I totally agree that we have focused more on the advancement of tangible technologies and less on abstract knowledge. As more math educators now advocate for culturally relevant pedagogy, we could introduce more non-European history of mathematics to our students and show them how brilliant human intelligence was in ancient times!

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