• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2009

Dutch mathematician Simon Stevin published De Thiende(The Tenth) in 1583. In that book Stevin suggested new numerical notation which could express all numbers. That new notation was decimal fraction system. In this article I will argue that Stevin invented new decimal fraction system with two main purposes. The explicit purpose was to invent a new system which could be used easily by practical mathematicians. The implicit purpose which cannot be found in De Thiende alone but in his other writings was to break the Aristotelian tradition which separated geometry and arithmetic which dealt continuous magnitude and discrete numbers respectively.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.283-291
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• 2008

The extension to a wide population of secondary education in many advanced countries seems to have led to a weakening of the mathematics curriculum. In response, many students have been classified as "gifted" so that they can access a stronger program. Apart from the difficulties that might arise in actually determining which students are gifted (Is it always clear what the term means?), there are dangers inherent in programs that might be devised even for those that are truly talented. Sometimes students are moved ahead to more advanced mathematics. Elementary students might be taught algebra or even subjects like trigonometry and vectors, and secondary students might be taught calculus, differential equations and linear algebra. It is my experience over thirty-five years of contact with bright students that acceleration to higher level mathematics is often not a good idea. In this paper, I will articulate some of the factors that have led me to this opinion and suggest alternatives. First, I would like to emphasize that in matters of education, almost every statement that can be made to admit counterexamples; my opinion on acceleration is no exception. Occasionally, a young Gauss or Euler walks in the door, and one has no choice but to offer the maximum encouragement and allow the student to go to the limit of his capabilities. A young genius can demonstrate an incredible amount of mathematical insight, maturity and mastery of technique. A classical example is probably the teen-age Euler, who in the 1720s was allowed regular audiences with Jean Bernoulli, the foremost mathematician of his day.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.581-598
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• 2017

The early Renaissance artist Albrecht $D{\ddot{u}}rer$ is an amateur mathematician. He published a book on geometry. In the second part of that book, $D{\ddot{u}}rer$ gave compass and straight edge constructions for the regular polygons from the triangle to the 16-gon. For mathematics education, I extracted base constructions of polygon constructions. And I also showed how to use $D{\ddot{u}}rer^{\prime}s$ idea in constructing divergent forms with compass and ruler. The contents of this paper can be expected to be the baseline data for mathematics education.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.367-379
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• 2015

The existence of mathematical objects was considered through diorism which was used in ancient Greece as conditions for the existence of the solution of the problem. Proposition I-22 of Euclid Elements has diorism for the existence of triangle. By discussing the diorism in Elements, ancient Greek mathematician proved the existence of defined object by postulates or theorems. Therefore, the existence of mathematical object is verifiability in the axiom system. From this perspective, construction is the main method to guarantee the existence in the Elements. Furthermore, we suggest some implications about the existence of mathematical objects in school mathematics.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.95-112
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• 2006

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a classic mathematician and inventor Archimedes' work ${\ll}$On the Sphere and Cylinder${\gg}$. The propositions of this book which deals with three dimensional geometry are reviewed. Through the review this study tries to find out how Archimedes mastered spherical figures and how classical mathematics ideas are related to the modern concept of integration. The results of this study seems to help people understand deeply modern mathematics and to be good resources to develop new mathematical ideas.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.15-28
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• 2009

In this paper, we study the 17th Century Chosun's mathematics book ${\ll}$Muk Sa Jib San Beob${\gg}$ written by Chosun's mathematician Kyeong Seon Jing. Our study of thebook shows the ${\ll}$Muk Sa Jip San Beop${\gg}$ as an important 17th Century mathematics book and also as a historical data showing the mathematical environment of 17th Century Chosun.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.479-492
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• 2014

According to Krutetskii, the education of mathematically gifted students must be focused on the improvement of creative mathematical ability and the mathematically gifted students need to experience the research process like mathematician. Independent study is highly encouraged as the self-directed activity of highest level in the learning process which is similar to research process used by experts. We conducted independent study as a viable differentiation technique for gifted middle school students in the 3rd grade, which participated in mentorship program for 10 months. Based on the data through the research process, interview with a study participant and his parents, and his blog, we analyzed mathematical behavior characteristics of a study participant. This behavior characteristics are not found in all mathematically gifted students. But through this case study, we understand mathematically gifted students better and furthermore obtain the message for the selection and education of the mathematically gifted students and for the effective method of running mentorship program particularly.

• Korean Journal of Mathematics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.541-563
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• 2012

Sang-Seol LEE wrote a manuscript HwaHakGyeMongCho(化學啓蒙抄) in the late 19th century. HwaHakGyeMongCho was transcribed from Science Primers: Chemistry (written by H. E. Roscoe), which is translated into Chinese by Joseph Edkins in 1886. LEE did not copy original writing exactly, but he understood the contents of each chapter and sections, then summarized and edited them in his caligraphic writing. In this paper, we introduce the contents for the first time and discuss the significance of this book.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.155-164
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• 2014

Tianyuanshu and Zengcheng Kaifangfa introduced in the Song-Yuan dynasties and their contribution to the theory of equations are one of the most important achievements in the history of Chinese mathematics. Furthermore, they became the most fundamental subject in the history of East Asian mathematics as well. The operations, or the mathematical structure of polynomials have been overlooked by traditional mathematics books. Investigation of GuIlJib (九一集) of Joseon mathematician Hong JeongHa reveals that Hong's approach to polynomials is highly structural. For the expansion of $\prod_{k=11}^{n}(x+a_k)$, Hong invented a new method which we name Hong JeongHa's synthetic expansion. Using this, he reveals that the processes in Zhengcheng Kaifangfa is not synthetic division but synthetic expansion.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2012

Ki-Won Chang(1903-1966) is considered as the first mathematician who made a contribution to the study of the history of Korean mathematics. In this paper, we introduce contributions of Ki-Won Chang, his discovery of old Korean literatures on mathematics, and his academic contribution on the history of Korean mathematics. Then we analyze and compare his conclusions on old Korean mathematics with recent works of others. This work shows some interesting discovery.