• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.351-362
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• 2012

Until the 1950s, linear algebra was considered only as one of abstract and advanced mathematics subject among in graduate mathematics courses, mainly dealing with module in algebra. Since the 1960s, it has been a main subject in undergraduate mathematics education because matrices has been used all over. In Korea, it was considered as a course only for mathematics major students until 1980s. However, now it is a subject for all undergraduate students including natural science, engineering, social science since 1990s. In this paper, we investigate the early history of linear algebra and its development from a historical perspective and mathematicians who made contributions. Secondly, we explain why linear algebra became so popular in college mathematics education in the late 20th century. Contributions of Chinese and H. Grassmann will be extensively examined with many newly discovered facts.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.73-88
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• 2022

Mathematics is a way of thinking. To do mathematics means to think mathematically. In other words, mathematics education and mathematics literacy are related. In elementary and secondary school mathematics education in many countries, teaching of mathematics using textbooks is conducted mostly in their native language. So mathematics education takes place while reading, writing, listening, and speaking mathematics. Analysis of mathematics textbooks for the lower grades of undergraduate mathematics shows that most advanced countries in mathematics use excellent undergraduate mathematics textbooks written in their native language. However, the ratio of using imported textbooks from foreign countries is particularly high in the case of textbooks for mathematics majors at Korean universities. In this article, the effect of language used in university mathematics education is analized. In particular, the importance of high-quality leading-edge university mathematics textbooks in native language is introduced by analyzing the case of Bourbaki in France and 'War of language' at the Israel Institute of Technology. The innovation of French university mathematics education in the 20th century began with Bourbaki's 'Fundamentals of Mathematics', a French textbook written in his native language. Israel's Technion and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem continue to teach all subjects in their mother tongue. This has led to produce many Nobel Prize and Fields medal winners in these two countries. This study shows that textbooks and languages used in university mathematics education has affected mathematical literacy.