EDCP 442 Reflection

This course has been one of the most wonderful parts of this semester!

Analyzing the relevance of mathematics to non-Euro/Western cultures and civilizations really highlighted the impact of the industrialization of education today. I love the journey we went through every class, that began with familiarizing ourselves with the contemporary applications, proceeded to historical roots, and then amalgamated old traditions in a present setting. It was so helpful for developing our interest and appreciation of those topics. The readings were very intriguing and paved the way for a lot of fun. The best part about this mathematics history course is that it deepened our curiosity for math in such a simple and transformative way!

Assignment 3 Reflection

Before this assignment, I had a 1-dimensional, surface level understanding of Newton's work with gravity and calculus. The research that went into learning about Isaac Newton's life was different from the research that we've been conducting in this course so far, and the reason there's that shift is because it wasn't just learning + presenting a few cool, chronological facts about Newton and his work- rather, it was important to understand his whole life, interactions with other mathematicians, influences, and strengths and weaknesses, in order to understand him and meaningfully present the whole Isaac Newton. The journey and process was so enjoyable and intriguing, and now I have a different sense of respect and appreciation for both Newton and Halley. Sometimes it's not just about what someone does, but the way they execute it, and that realization carefully emerged throughout the course of this project, and enhanced the overall takeaways. 

Assignment 3 Slides

The slides for our presentation can be accessed here:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Avh0az7NcbxiWt8zfcpltptt2Hw127ycxt_aiL9Ixlo/edit?usp=sharing

Medieval Islamic Mathematics

There was a great deal to take away from this one chapter in Berggren's 'Episodes in the Mathematics of Medieval Islam.'

For one, the depth of the biographies for Al Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni, Al-Khayyam, and Al-Kashi were very interesting. Each of them have very colourful lives and it’s quite fascinating to try and interpret how these experiences led to their mathematical discoveries- especially since they don’t seem to have that *reserved and otherworldliness* characteristic that is common among other mathematical biographies from the Renaissance era; their dedication, personalities, and interdisciplinary approach really stands out throughout the reading. For instance, Al-Khwarizmi made contributions to geography, cartography, and law; Al-Biruni debated the nature of light with Avicenna, and made significant contributions to comparative religion (I never would have guessed that he is quite notable for his work on India); Al-Khayyam was a poet; and Al-Kashi started off as a wandering scholar. I would introduce this to my students, because I think it will help deconstruct that stereotypical persona that so many of us have when it comes to mathematicians. 

Assignment 3 Plan

Kelsea, Marius, and I will be working on the life of Isaac Newton. I will capture a few elements of Newton's life on an embroidered piece (most likely an 8 inch embroidery hoop). The main image will focus on Halley's influence on Newton, but I will include small bits of Newton's work with gravity, optics, calculus, alchemy, etc. in subtle ways to add to the piece. 

Trivium and Quadrivium

"The Arithmetic of the Medieval Universities" by Dorothy Schrader was enlightening. Here are 3 points that stood out to me:

“Arithmetic was a study of the universities; logistic was not.” (266) The difference between arithmetic, as number philosophy, and logistics, as sensible numeration, was surprising. I wasn’t expecting that contrast between the two topics, especially in consideration of their present day unity. In terms of the evolution of mathematics, this is quite interesting because while the operations, theorems, and proofs withstand the test of time, certain vocabulary/notation, branch classification, and societal significance have changed quite a bit.