• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.195-220
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• 2010

The magic square is one of the number arrangements and the sums of each row, column, and diagonal are all equal. The meaning of "方" is "Square". If we don't consider the condition of 'square' then is it possible any number arrangement? There are many special number arrangements such as "magic five number circle(緊五圖)", "magic six number circle(聚六圖)", "magic eight number circle(聚八圖)", "magic nine number circle(攢九圖)", "magic eight camp circle(八陣圖)", "magic nine camp circle(連環圖)" in the ancient Chinese mathematics books such as "楊輝算法", "算法統宗". Also, there is a very special and beautiful number arrangement Jisuguimoondo(地數龜文圖) in the mathematics book "Goosuryak(九數略)" written by Choi suk jung(崔錫鼎) in the Joseon Dynasty. In this study, we introduce a various number arrangements and their properties.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.37-51
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• 2012

By comparing the development history of rectangular coordinate system in Cartography and Mathematics, we assert in this manuscript that the rectangular coordinate system is not so much related to analytic geometry but comes from the space perceiving ability inherent in human beings. We arrived at this conclusion by the followings: First, although the Cartography have much influenced to various area of Mathematics such as trigonometry, logarithm, Geometry, Calculus, Statistics, and so on, which were developed or progressed around the advent of analytic geometry, the mathematical coordinate system itself had not been completely developed in using the origin or negative axis until 100 years and more had passed since Descartes' publication. Second, almost mathematicians who contributed to the invention of rectangular coordinate system had not focused their studying on rectangular coordinate system instead they used it freely on solving mathematical problem.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.193-212
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• 2021

This study is to support the school's mathematics exploration activities. Mathematics exploration is a very important mathematical activity not only for mathematics teachers, but also for students. Looking at the development of mathematics, it has been extended from one mathematical fact to a new mathematical fact. Mathematics exploration activities are not unique to mathematicians, and opportunities are equally given to all ordinary people who are learning mathematics and teaching mathematics. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a method of mathematics exploration activities that teachers and students can perform in schools, based on mathematics exploration activities based on one mathematical fact. Specifically, the cosine law was selected as one mathematical fact, and mathematical exploration activities were performed based on the cosine law. By analyzing the results of these mathematics exploration activities, we developed a method to explore school mathematics. Through the results of this study, it is expected that mathematics exploration activities will be conducted equally by students and teachers in the mathematics classroom.

• Korean Journal of Logic
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.3-32
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• 2005

Hilbert's rational ambition to establish consistency in Number theory and mathematics in general was frustrated by the fact that the statement itself claiming consistency is undecidable within its formal system by $G\ddot{o}del's$ second theorem. Hilbert's optimism that a mathematician should not say "Ignorabimus" ("We don't know") in any mathematical problem also collapses, due to the presence of a undecidable statement that is neither provable nor refutable. The failure of his program receives more shock, because his system excludes any ambiguity and is based on only mechanical operations concerning signs and strings of signs. Above all, $G\ddot{o}del's$ theorem demonstrates the limits of formalization. Now, the notion of provability in the dimension of syntax comes to have priority over that of semantic truth in mathematics. In spite of his failure, the notion of algorithm(mechanical processe) made a direct contribution to the emergence of programming languages. Consequently, we believe that his program is failure, but a great one.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.85-102
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• 2005

Some properties on the mathematical hyper-dimensional figures by 'the principle of the permanence of equivalent forms' was investigated. It was supposed that there are 2 conjectures on the making n-dimensional figures : simplex (a pyramid type) and a hypercube(prism type). The figures which were made by the 2 conjectures all satisfied the sufficient condition to show the general Euler's Theorem(the Euler's Characteristics). Especially, the patterns on the numbers of the components of the simplex and hypercube are fitted to Binomial Theorem and Pascal's Triangle. It was also found that the prism type is a good shape to expand the Hasse's Diagram. 5 mathematically gifted high school students were mentored on the investigation of the hyper-dimensional figure by 'the principle of the permanence of equivalent forms'. Research products and ideas students have produced are shown and the 'guided re-invention method' used for mentoring are explained.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 1987

호주 정부는 1988년이 유럽인의 호주 이민 200주년이 되는 것을 기념하여 대대적인 행사를 추진하고 있으며 이 행사의 일환으로 1988년 7월 9일 부터 21일 까지 "제29회 국제수학경시대회"를 개최할 예정이다. 이 대회의 주최측에서는 우리나라에도 중ㆍ고등학생의 참가를 요청하였다. 필자들은 이 대회에 우리나라 대표를 파견할 경우를 대비하여 그 동안 IMO에 관한 여러가지의 정보를 조사한 바 대회 참가 여부에 대하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 1. 참가의 필요성 (1) 중ㆍ고등 학생들에게 수학에 관한 관심을 높히고, 나아가서는 모든 국민에게 과학적인 사고의 향상을 기대한다. (2) 궁극적으로 수학을 위시한 기초 과학, 응용 과학에 대한 전반적인 관심도가 높아져서 수학자 및 과학자의 저변 확대를 기대할 수 있고, 특히 수리적인 사고력이 뛰어난 사람을 조기에 찾아내어 2000년대의 과학 선진국 건설에 중추적인 역할을 맡을 인력자원을 확보할 수 있다. (3) 현재 중ㆍ고등학교 수학 교육이 계산 위주, 암기 위주로 되어 있고, 학력 고사를 위시하여 많은 시험이 객관적으로 사고력 배양이 고려되지 않고 있다. IMO 참가자를 선발하기 위하여 거국적인 경시 대회를 개최한다면 자연히 이를 대비한 주관식 문제를 접할 기회를 가지게 되고, 따라서 수학 교육의 목적중의 하나인 사고력 배양을 기대할 수 있다. (4) 우리 국민의 조직적인 사고력과 과학적인 두뇌를 세계적으로 자랑할 수 있는 좋은 기회이다. (5) 자라나는 새싹들에게 국제 대회의 기회를 주므로써 장차 우리나라의 수학 수준을 국제적으로 높힐 수 있는 기틀을 마련한다. 2. 우리나라 학생이 IMO에 참가하여 우수한 성적을 거둘수 있는지 여부 (1) 절대적으로 있다. 참가하는 첫 해부터 상위권에 들어갈 것이다. 우리의 중ㆍ고등학교 수학 수준이 세계 평균보다 약간 높다. 그리고 몇 년의 경륜을 쌓는다면 세계 1, 2위에 도전 할 수 있다. 이것은 올림픽이나 아시아 게임에 기울이는 비용의 몇 만분의 일을 가지고, 그 보다 훨씬 높은 수준의 국력을 과시할 수 있는 기회이다. (2)매년 그 성적이 올라가리라 생각한다. 예로서 우리와 비교하여 형편없는 국력을 가진 몽고가 8년간 꼴찌를 하다 1894년 대회에서 참가국 33개국 중에서 10위를 차지하였다. 미국은 참가 첫 해부터 2위를 하였고, 11년 동안 1위 2번, 2위 4번을 하였으며, 매번 5위 이내에 머물렀다. (3) 월남은 그 나라의 사정때문인지 자주 참가하지 못하였다. 그러나 참가할 때마다 항상 상위권에 속하였다. 이것은 월남 국민들의 수학에 관한 관심도를 나타낸다고 본다. 우리 국민도 월남 국민에 못지 않으리라 생각한다. 3. 한국수학교육학회가 주관하여 뛰어난 학생을 선발 할 수 있는지 여부 (1) 있다. (2)한국수학경시대회 (KMO) 위원회를 한국수학교육학회 산하에 구성하여 KMO를 주관하게 하고, 또 국내의 여러 수학경시대회에서 우수한 성적을 나타낸 학생중에서 일정한 인원(50명 정도)을 선발하여 특별히 선정된 훈련팀으로 하여금 조직적인 훈련을 시킨다면 된다. 4. 기타 (1) 과거 어떠한 형태로든 국제 대회에 참가한 경력은 전혀 없다. (2) 1960년대에 서울대학교 공과대학 학생회에서 주최한 수학경시대회가 있었으나 보잘것이 없었고, 현재에도 각 시도별 또는 대학주관의 경시대회가 있으나 거국적인 호응을 받지 못했다. 물론 국제 대회에 참석시키는 것은 엄두도 내지 않았다.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.127-146
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• 2007

From 1876 to 1883, British mathematician James Joseph Sylvester worked as the founding head of Mathematics Department at the Johns Hopkins University which has been known as America's first school of mathematical research. Sylvester established the American Journal of Mathematics, the first sustained mathematics research journal in the United States. It is natural that we think this is the most exciting and important period in American mathematics. But we found out that the International Congress of Mathematicians held at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, August 21-26, 1893 was the real turning point in American's dedication to mathematical research. The University of Chicago was founded in 1890 by the American Baptist Education Society and John D. Rockefeller. The founding head of mathematics department Eliakim Hastings Moore was the one who produced many excellent American mathematics Ph.D's in early stage. Many of Moore's students contributed to build up real American mathematics research power in early 20 century The University also has a well-deserved reputation as the "teacher of teachers". Beginning with Sylvester, we analyze what E.H. Moore had done as a teacher and a head of the new department that produced many mathematical talents such as L.E. Dickson(1896), H. Slaught(1898), O. Veblen(1903), R.L. Moore(1905), G.D. Birkhoff(1907), T.H. Hilderbrants(1910), E.W. Chittenden(1912) who made the history of American mathematics. In this article, we study how Moore's vision, new system and new way of teaching influenced American mathematical society at early stage of the top class mathematical research. and the meaning that early University of Chicago case gave.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.65-78
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• 2006

The law of refraction, which is called Snell's law in physics, has a significant meaning in mathematics history. After Snell empirically discovered the refraction law $\frac{v_1}{sin{\theta}_1}=\frac{v_2}{sin{\theta}_2$ through countless observations, many mathematicians endeavored to deduce it from the least time principle, and the need to surmount these difficulties was one of the driving forces behind the early development of calculus by Leibniz. Fermat solved it far advance of others by inventing a method that eventually led to the differential calculus. Historically, mathematics has developed in close connection with physics. Physics needs mathematics as an auxiliary discipline, but physics can also belong to the lived-through reality from which mathematics is provided with subject matters and suggestions. The refraction law is a suggestive example of interrelations between mathematical and physical theories. Freudenthal said that a purpose of mathematics education is to learn how to apply mathematics as well as to learn ready-made mathematics. I think that the refraction law could be a relevant content for this purpose. It is pedagogically sound to start in high school with a quasi-empirical approach to refraction. In college, mathematics and physics majors can study diverse mathematical proof including Fermat's original method in the context of discussing the phenomenon of refraction of light. This would be a ideal environment for such pursuit.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.113-122
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• 2013

The movie "Beautiful Mind" directed by Ron Howard is about a genius global mathematician, John Nash's life. In the movie, the main actor, John Nash is a schizophrenic patient who suffers from hallucination and delusion, and his illusion appears as three distinct characters. Each researcher has had a different opinion on the interpretation of these three characters, but many parts of their opinions are losing consistency. Especially the girl is assumed to be a character from the main actor's hallucination because she is ageless or there is no interpretation of the girl. Although the director Ron Howard did not adopt Aldous Huxley's theory "the more you know the more you see" for the movie, he analyzed the characters in the way of his own with thinking that he can analyze them in accordance with the knowledge level of audience. The imaginary characters come out from John Nash's head and who he wants to be. They are the basic human needs, earthly desire, sexual desire and the desire for honor. John Nash minutely reflects these three kinds of desires in an imaginary world through the three characters. This thesis is to newly suggest the symbolic meaning of the imaginary characters in the movie by clearly analyzing the meaning of the controversial three characters.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.185-191
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• 2014

With the 500th anniversary commemoration of Gerard Mercator's birth in 2012 now passed, there is the possibility that his name will fade back into obscurity. This would be both unfair and pitiful, because Gerard Mercator's name should be highly regarded as one of the principal contributors to navigational science and the promotion of marine safety. An accomplished cartographer, in 1569 Mercator published a remarkable 18-folio world map, depicting the then-known world in a new format with straight rhumb lines. While this distorted the size of land masses, particularly in higher latitudes, this new projection made navigation much easier for now all sailors had to do was to draw a straight line between two points to plot their course. Mercator clearly had this navigational benefit in mind, though his contemporaries did not immediately recognize its value. It wasn't until after Mercator's death, when Edward Wright (1599) and Henry Bond (1645) used and explained the new projection and demonstrated the use of straight rhumb lines in navigation that the Mercator projection became the standard for sea charts. Today, 450 years later of his death, electronic charts still rely on the projection Mercator invented and developed, confirming his position as a giant in the history of navigation. This paper introduces his life and work, detailing the importance of the 1569 world map and its contribution to navigational science and safety.