• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.211-231
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• 2014

Although Monty Hall dilemma is used in many areas including philosophy, economics, and psychology, it is used in the current mathematics textbooks only as a material for reading or one of probability questions. The present study tries to explore students' understanding of Monty Hall dilemma through a class case. In this study, a group of high-school students participated in group activities, in which they read an argument about Monty Hall dilemma, and tried to resolve it through small-group and whole-class discussions, and then studied the conditional probability. The analysis supports the studies in psychology that intuitive understandings on probability do not change easily, and that counter-intuitivity in Monty Hall dilemma induces confusion and offers a basis for discussions among students. Similar results are anticipated when other dilemmas on probability are used.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.19-32
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• 2007

This Paper aims to introduce Euler's life, works and thoughts, to show that it is his Christian worldview that enables his achievements. His life teaches us the lesson that examining philosophical base and historical background is crucial to understand mathematics or mathematicians, and that it is necessary to overcome given conditions and environments rather than expect better environments to reach meaningful achievements.

• School Mathematics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.353-373
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• 2005

The purpose of this paper is to analysis the basic network problem which can be applied to the mathematically gifted students in elementary school. Mainly, we discuss didactic transpositions of the double counting principle, the game of sprouts, Eulerian graph problem, and the minimum connector problem. Here the double counting principle is related to the handshaking lemma; in any graph, the sum of all the vertex-degree is equal to the number of edges. The selection of these subjects are based on the viewpoint; to familiar to graph theory, to raise algorithmic thinking, to apply to the real-world problem. The theoretical background of didactic transpositions of these subjects are based on the Polya's mathematical heuristics and Lakatos's philosophy of mathematics; quasi-empirical, proofs and refutations as a logic of mathematical discovery.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.81-96
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• 2006

This paper aims to review Leibniz's analytic ideas in his philosophy, logics, and mathematics. History of analysis in mathematics ascend its origin to Greek period. Analysis was used to prove geometrical theorems since Pythagoras. Pappus took foundation in analysis more systematically. Descartes tried to find the value of analysis as a heuristics and found analytic geometry. And Descartes and Leibniz thought that analysis was played most important role in investigating studies and inventing new truths including mathematics. Among these discussions about analysis, this paper investigate Leibniz's analysis focusing to his ideas over the whole of his studies.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.353-374
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• 2005

Recently, there have been many changes in researches of mathematics education. There is a growing number of researchers who are interested in empirical researches. According to the these changes, there is also an emphasis on methodology of mathematics education. This means that many researchers try to conduct an research using scientific approach. Therefore, new types of research developing mathematics courses recently has evolved as follows: teaching experiment, hypothetical loaming trajectory, design science, developmental research. The aim of this study is to reflect on developmental research in RME and to induce desirable directions for developing our mathematics courses. In order to attain these purposes, the present paper reflects the philosophy of RME, aim, procedure, data collection, data analysis, and justification of developmental research with illustrating a exemplar Based on these reflections, it is discussed that it needs to construct the mathematics curriculum connecting theory and practice in mathematics education, to report the process of developing mathematics courses faithfully, and to develop real mathematics courses after conducting basic developmental researches in order to take scientific app- roaches for developing mathematics courses.

• Lingua Humanitatis
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• v.6
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• pp.147-166
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• 2004

Whitehead's discussion of language is not to be found in any one book or article. It is interwoven with his discussion of many other questions. He was, however, greatly concerned with the problem of symbolism in general and the uses of language. He regards language, spoken or written, as an instrument devised by men to aid them in their adjustment to the environment in which they live Language is used for many specific purposes in the process of this adjustment. Words are employed not only to refer to data and to express emotions. They may be used also to record experiences, and thoughts about these experiences. Worts also function as instruments in the organization of experiences as they are considered in retrospect. Thus words free us from the bondage of the immediate. And Whitehead's theory of meaning is implicit in his discussion of the functions of language. According to him, the human mind is functioning symbolically when some components of its experience elicit consciousness, beliefs, emotions, and usages, respecting other components of its experiences. The former set of components are the 'symbols', and the latter set constitute the 'meaning' of the symbols. Whitehead points out that one word may have several meanings, i.e. refer to several different data. In order to understand, thus, the meaning to which a word refers, it is sometimes very important to appreciate the system of thought within which a person is operating. Further, Whitehead's discussion of language includes a number of cogent warning the deficiencies of language, and hence the need for great care in the use of words. In fact, language developed gradually. For the most part we have created words designed to deal with practical problems. Attention focuses on the prominent features in a situation, in particular the changing aspects of things. With reference to such data our words are relatively adequate. However, this issues in an unfortunate superficiality. The enduring, the subtle, the complex and the general aspects of the universe do not have adequate verbal representation. for this reason, Whitehead's position concerning the uses of language in speculative philosophy is stated with pungent directness. The uncritical trust in the adequacy of language is one of the main errors to which philosophy is liable. Since ordinary language does not do justice to the generalities, profundities and complexities of life, it is obvious that philosophy requires new words and phrases, or at least the revision of familiar words and phrases. Proceeding to develop the theme Whitehead contends that words and phrases must be stretched towards a generality foreign to their ordinary usage. In the same vein Whitehead refers to the need to realize that language which is the tool of philosophy needs to be redesigned just as in physical science available physical apparatus needs to be redesigned. But even these words and phrases, stretched or redesigned, are never completely adequate in philosophical speculations. They are, in his opinion, merely a great improvement over ordinary language or the language science, mathematics or symbolic logic.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.347-366
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• 2004

Recently, there have been many assessment researches in Korea. The aim of this study is to reflect on framework for mathematics assessment in RME which is based on Jan de Lange's assessment theory and to induce desirable directions for our mathematics assessment in nation-level and class-level. In order to attain these purposes, the present paper reflects the philosophy of RME, Jan de Lange's framework for mathematics assessment, assessment framework of the unit 'Side Seeing', one of Mathematics in Context textbook series, as an exemplar to which Jan de Lange's framework is applied. Based on these reflections, it is discussed that it needs to specify achievement standards presented in mathematics curriculum more particularly in order to have framework including mathematical abilities of level 2 and level 3 in Jan de Lange's framework appropriate to our situations, to apply the framework to nation-level and class-level consistently, and to enhance abilities of teachers and student teachers for mathematics assessment.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.403-417
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• 2012

We can understand in the context of kant's philosophy the intuitive geometry education arguing that geometry education should begin with intuition. Both Pestalozzi and Herbart advocate a connection between geometry and intuition as well as a close relationship between geometry and the world. Significance of the intuitive geometry education resizes in the fact that geometry becomes both an example of and a principle of general cognition. The intuitive geometry education uses figures as an educational foundation in the transcendental condition for the main agent of cognition. In this regard, the intuitive geometry education provides grounds for the human character development.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.325-333
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• 2016

Chinese Mathematics during the period of Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1271-1368) is an integral part of the high achievements of traditional mathematics during the Song (962-1279) and Yuan dynasties, which is another peak in the history of Chinese mathematics, following the footsteps of the high accomplishments during the Warring States period (475-221 BCE), the Western Han (206 BCE-24 ADE), Three Kingdoms (220-280 AD), Jin dynasty (265-420 AD), and Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589 AD). During the Jin-Yuan period, Quanzhen Taoism was a dominating branch in Taoism. It offered certain political protection and religious comforts to many during troubled times; it also provided a relatively stable environment for intellectual development. Li Ye (1192-1279), Zhu Shijie (fl. late 13th C to early 14th C) and Zhao Youqin (fl. late 13th C to early 14th C), the major actors and contributors to the Jin-Yuan Mathematics achievements, were either heavily influenced by the philosophy of Quanzhen Taoism, or being its followers. In certain Taoist Classics, Li Ye read the records of the relations of a circle and nine right triangles which has been known as Dongyuan jiurong 洞渊九容 of Quanzhen Taoism. These relations made significant contributions in the study of the circles inscribed in a right triangle, the reasoning of which directly led to the birth of the Method of Celestial Elements (Tianyuan shu 天元术), which further developed into the Method of Two Elements (Eryuan shu ⼆元术), the Method of Three Elements (Sanyuan shu 三元术) and the Method of Four Elements (Siyuan shu 四元术).

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.139-152
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• 2014

This paper aims to compare and contrast Kierkegaard and Turing, whose birth dates were one hundred years apart, analyzing them from the perspective of the limit. The model of analysis is two concentric circles and movement in them and on the boundary of outer circle. In the model, Kierkegaard's existential stages have 1:1 correspondences: aesthetic stage, ethical stage, religious stage A and religious stage B correspond to inside of the inner circle, outside of the inner circle, the boundary of the outer circle and the outside of the outer circle, respectively. This paper claims that Turing belongs to inside of the outer circle and moves to the center while Kierkegaard belongs to outside of the outer circle and moves to the infinity. Both of them have movement of potential infinity but their directions are opposite.