• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.1-20
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• 2006

The administrative service in Chosun Dynasty relating to mathematics was carried out by the middle class(中人) mathematicians selected by the official selection examination(取才). They belong to HoJo(戶曹) department and their ranks are GyeSa(計士), ByulJe(別提), HunDo(訓導 = mathematics teacher), and GyoSu(敎授 = mathematics professor). We call them SanWon(算員). HunDo and GyoSu played very important role although their ranks are low, for they educate SanWon and manage the official selection examination. Using JuHakSeonSaengAn(籌學先生案, List of mathematics teachers) and JuHakIpGyukAn(籌學入格案, List of successful candidates in the official selection examination for mathematics), we investigate HunDo and GyoSu in Chosun Dynasty.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2004

University teachers of linear algebra often feel annoyed and disarmed when faced with the inability of their students to cope with concepts that they consider to be very simple. Usually, they lay the blame on the impossibility for the students to use geometrical intuition or the lack of practice in basic logic and set theory. J.-L. Dorier [(2002): Teaching Linear Algebra at University. In: T. Li (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematicians (Beijing: August 20-28, 2002), Vol. III: Invited Lectures (pp. 875-884). Beijing: Higher Education Press] mentioned that the situation could not be improved substantially with the teaching of Cartesian geometry or/and logic and set theory prior to the linear algebra. In East Asian countries, science-orientated mathematics curricula of the high schools consist of calculus with many other materials. To understand differential and integral calculus efficiently or for other reasons, students have to learn a lot of content (and concepts) in linear algebra, such as ordered pairs, n-tuple numbers, planar and spatial coordinates, vectors, polynomials, matrices, etc., from an early age. The content of linear algebra is spread out from grades 7 to 12. When the high school teachers teach the content of linear algebra, however, they do not concern much about the concepts of content. With small effort, teachers can help the students to build concepts of vocabularies and languages of linear algebra.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.33-53
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• 2020

Euclid's Elements has been considered as the stereotype of logical and deductive approach to mathematics in the history of mathematics. Nonetheless, it has been criticized by its dryness and difficulties for learning. It is worthwhile to noticing mathematicians' struggle for providing some alternatives to Euclid's Elements. One of these alternatives was written by a French scientist, Pardies who called it 'Elemens de Geometrie ou par une methode courte & aisee l'on peut apprendre ce qu'il faut scavoir d'Euclide, d'Archimede, d'Apllonius & les plus belles inventions des anciens & des nouveaux Geometres.' A precedent research presented its historical meaning in traditional mathematics of China and Joseon as well as its didactical meaning in mathematics education with the overview of this book. However, it has a limitation that there isn't elaborate comparison between Euclid's and Pardies'in the aspects of contents as well as the approaching method. This evokes the curiosity enough to encourage this research. So, this research aims to compare Pardies' Elements and Euclid's Elements. Which propositions Pardies selected from Euclid's Elements? How were they restructured in Pardies' Elements? Responding these questions, the researcher confirmed his easy method of learning geometry intended by Pardies.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 2012

Thomas Harriot(1560-1621) introduced a simplified notation for algebra. His fundamental research on the theory of equations was far ahead of that time. He invented certain symbols which are used today. Harriot treated all answers to solve equations equally whether positive or negative, real or imaginary. He did outstanding work on the solution of equations, recognizing negative roots and complex roots in a way that makes his solutions look like a present day solution. Since he published no mathematical work in his lifetime, his achievements were not recognized in mathematical history and mathematics education. In this paper, by comparing his works with Viete and Descartes those are mathematicians in the same age, I show his achievements in mathematics.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.301-310
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• 2015

Since Jiuzhang Suanshu, the main tools in the theory of right triangles, known as Gougushu in East Asia were algebraic identities about three sides of a right triangle derived from the Pythagorean theorem. Using tianyuanshu up to siyuanshu, Song-Yuan mathematicians could skip over those identities in the theory. Chinese Mathematics in the 17-18th centuries were mainly concerned with the identities along with the western geometrical proofs. Jeong Yag-yong (1762-1836), a well known Joseon scholar and writer of the school of Silhak, noticed that those identities can be derived through algebra and then wrote Gugo Wonlyu (勾股源流) in the early 19th century. We show that Jeong reveals the algebraic structure of polynomials with the three indeterminates in the book along with their order structure. Although the title refers to right triangles, it is the first pure algebra book in Joseon mathematics, if not in East Asia.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

After disastrous foreign invasions in 1592 and 1636, Chosun lost most of the traditional mathematical works and needed to revive its mathematics. The new calendar system, ShiXianLi(時憲曆, 1645), was brought into Chosun in the same year. In order to understand the system, Chosun imported books related to western mathematics. For the traditional mathematics, Kim Si Jin(金始振, 1618-1667) republished SuanXue QiMeng(算學啓蒙, 1299) in 1660. We discuss the works by two great mathematicians of early 18th century, Cho Tae Gu(趙泰耉, 1660-1723) and Hong Jung Ha(洪正夏, 1684-?) and then conclude that Cho's JuSeoGwanGyun(籌 書管見) and Hong's GuIlJib(九一集) became a real breakthrough for the second half of the history of Chosun mathematics.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.39-54
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• 2005

In Chinese Mathematics, Jia Xian(要憲) introduced Zeng cheng kai fang fa(增乘開方法) to get approximations of solutions of Polynomial equations which is a generalization of square roots and cube roots in Jiu zhang suan shu. The synthetic divisions in Zeng cheng kai fang fa give ise to two concepts of Fan il(飜積) and Yi il(益積) which were extensively used in Chosun Dynasty Mathematics. We first study their history in China and Chosun Dynasty and then investigate the historical fact that Chosun mathematicians Nam Byung Gil(南秉吉) and Lee Sang Hyuk(李尙爀) obtained the sufficient conditions for Fan il and Yi il for quadratic equations and proved them in the middle of 19th century.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2007

In the middle of 19th century, Chosun mathematicians Nam Byung Gil(南秉吉) and Lee Sang Hyuk(李尙爀) studied mathematical structures developed in Song(宋) and Yuan(元) eras on top of their early studies on Jiu zhang suan shu(九章算術) and Shu li jing yun(數理精蘊). Their studies gave rise to a momentum for a prominent development of Chosun mathematics in the century. In this paper, we investigate Nam Byung Gil's JipGoYunDan(輯古演段) and MuIHae(無異解) and then study his theory of equations. Through a collaboration with Lee, Sang Hyuk, he consolidated the eastern and western structure of theory of equations.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.527-540
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• 2007

It takes much of times and efforts for mathematical knowledge to be regarded as truth. Mathematical knowledge has been added, and modified, and even proved to be false. Mathematical knowledge consists of mathematical languages, statements, reasonings, questions, metamathematical views. These elements have been changed constantly by investigations and refutations of mathematicians, by modification of proofs considering the refutations, by introduction of new concepts, by additions of questions about new concepts, by efforts to get answers to new questions, by attempts to apply previous studies to the present, constantly. This study introduces the change of mathematical knowledge instituted by filcher, and presents examples of the change.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.445-464
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• 2007

On considering the mathematical creativity of the gifted in mathematics, some points should be reflected such as the characteristics of leaners, the gifted and of domain-special facts in mathematics. And the clear view of mathematical creativity of the gifted in mathematics makes a way to define the meanings of creative-productive ability and of creative products. Therefore to explicate the concept of mathematical creativity of the gifted in mathematics, researcher reviewed literacies of the concept of creativity in general fields, classical mathematicians, and school mathematics. In conclusion, first, mathematical creativity of the gifted in mathematics should be considered on the aspects of subject-mathematics, object-the gifted, and performing-gifted education. Second, it contains advanced problem solving matters on the school mathematics curriculum but reflect the process of recovery and reinvent and it is suggested in [fig.1] and [fig.2].