My Reflections on Was Pythagoras Chinese Article

I think it does make a significant difference given the demographics which a BC classroom looks like. Not recognizing non-European contribution can be a form of culture oppression. While many students are not aware of this, learning about history of non-European Mathematics broadens the viewpoint similar to a social issue. For students who can feel like their culture is recognized, it could helps them understand the concepts better, or even more engaged in learning.

For the naming of Pythagoras Theorem, I find it very euro-centric where it is named after the person who has discovered it. In the Chinese equivalent, the theorem is called 勾(gou)股(gu)定理(theorem) where 勾 and 股 represents opposite and adjacent in a right angle triangle. Hence, the naming is literally just Opposite-Adjacent Theorem. This showed the naming scheme was on the basis that it was a discovery, not an invention. It's the lack of person-centric meaning which speaks volume about the culture of traditional Chinese dynasty.

Comments

  1. Erica HuangNovember 23, 2024 at 10:09 AM

    Great reflection, Raymond! I completely agree with you about the importance of recognizing students' cultures in the learning process — it can really enhance their understanding of concepts and boost engagement. Good observation about the Eurocentric tendency to name discoveries after individuals. I also appreciate your comparison to Chinese culture. I personally like the name 勾股定理 as well. Opposite-Adjacent Theorem makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? However, there are also cases in Chinese mathematics where concepts are named after people. 勾股定理 is also called Shang Gao (商高) Theorem and Chen Zi (陳子) 定理, and Yang Hui Triangles gives credits to Yang Hui (though he only popularized it). The name Jia Xian (贾宪) Triangles is much lesser known. So I think it's a more complex than just euro-centric vs traditional Chinese cultures. There is certainly an issue naming a theorem after one single person when it's usually a collaborative effort.

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