Sept 23 - Crest of the Peacock Response

The first thing that surprised me was that "the history of the Africans or the indigenous peoples of the Americas often appears to begin only after their encounter with Europe." (p.1) When we think of a mathematician, it's often that we picture a bearded old man (at least I do). We forget that mathematics has had quite a long history, and that at some point in time, Baghdad was the center of mathematics in the world. It is perhaps human nature to make ourselves important and diminish the value of other cultures. I also found it interesting how the author dug deeper into the trajectories of how mathematics was developed. I was surprised how the development of mathematics is not as Eurocentric as I had thought and that all these other cultures had an impact on its development, especially Greece. The figure on page 10 signifies how history is in general. It's never a straight line of influence, but a mishmash of a multitude and interconnected pieces influencing each other.

The "plurality of mathematical development" (p.12) was a very interesting point that sparked my attention. I never knew that Eudoxus was influenced by Egyptians. Everything makes sense now, as in this world it's hard to be one hundred percent independent. Something, somewhere, will influence us, whether it will be consciously or unconsciously. When it comes to the history of mathematics, it seems obvious now that it was influenced by many bodies of knowledge and that nothing is linear. The points the author makes, also help in teaching mathematics. If students see mathematics as a broad subject where many cultures had a part in, then it's easier for them to relate to it, especially if they are from different backgrounds. It's hard for everyone to relate to an old bearded white male. But knowing that many cultures have contributed to mathematics, and presenting some history of mathematics in the classroom, can break that stereotype.