• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.375-394
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to examine the transition of mathematical representation in Joseon mathematics, which is focused on numbers and operations, letters and expressions. In Joseon mathematics, there had been two numeral systems, one by chinese character and the other by counting rods. These systems were changed into the decimal notation which used Indian-Arabic numerals in the late 19th century passing the stage of positional notation by Chinese character. The transition of the representation of operation and expressions was analogous to that of representation of numbers. In particular, Joseon mathematics represented the polynomials and equations by denoting the coefficients with counting rods. But the representation of European algebra was introduced in late Joseon Dynasty passing the transitional representation which used Chinese character. In conclusion, Joseon mathematics had the indigenous representation of numbers and mathematical symbols on our own. The transitional representation was found before the acceptance of European mathematical representations.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.977-998
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• 2009

In this article, we give a comparative study on the last 300 years of USA and Korean tertiary mathematics. The first mathematics classes in United States were offered before July, 1638, but the real founding of tertiary mathematics courses was in 1640 when Henry Dunster assumed the duties of the presidency at Harvard. President Dunster read arithmetics and geometry on Mondays and Tuesdays to the third year students during the first three quarters, and astronomy in the last quarter. So tertiary mathematics education in United States began at Harvard which is the oldest college in USA. After 230 years since then, Benjamin Peirce in 1870 made a major and first American contribution to mathematics and got an attention from European mathematicians. Major change on the role of Harvard mathematics from teaching to research made by G.D. Birkhoff when he joined as an assistant professor in 1912. Tertiary mathematics education in Korea started long before Chosun Dynasty. But it was given to only small number of government actuarial officers. Modern mathematics education of tertiary level in Korea was given at Sungkyunkwan, Ewha, Paichai, and Soongsil. But all college level education opportunity, particularly in mathematics, was taken over by colonial government after 1920. And some technical and normal schools offered some tertiary mathematics courses. There was no college mathematics department in Korea until 1945. After the World War II, the first college mathematics department was established, and Rimhak Ree in 1949 made a major and first Korean contribution to modern mathematics, and later found Ree group. He got an attention from western mathematicians for the first time as a Korean. It can be compared with Benjamin Peirce's contribution for USA.