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HPM Newsletter 56 July 2004

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HPM Newsletter 56 July 2004 ICME-10 Satellite meeting of HPM, to be No. 56 July 2004 held in Uppsala (authors: Florence Fasanelli HPM Advisory Board: and John Fauvel, 2004). Fulvia Furinghetti, Chair Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Genova, via Dodecaneso 35, 16146 Genova, Italy Peter Ransom, Editor ([email protected]), The Mountbatten School and Language College, The interest for the use of history in Romsey, SO51 5SY, UK mathematics education has remote roots in the Masami Isoda, Webmaster work of famous historians such as Florian ([email protected]), Institute of Cajori, David Eugene Smith, Gino Loria and Education, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 JAPAN Hieronymus Georg Zeuthen. In recent times the ideas outlined in a theoretical way by Jan van Maanen, The Netherlands, (former chair); those important historians of the past had Florence Fasanelli, USA, (former chair); Ubiratan D’Ambrosio, Brazil, (former chair) interesting applications in the classroom. Evelyne Barbin, France Teaching experiments are discussed in Luis Radford, Canada specific studies and doctoral dissertations are Gert Schubring, Germany written all over the world. All that assists in making the links of history and mathematics Report by HPM: The International education more rigorous and fruitful. Study Group on the Relations between the History and At the end of my four years (2000-2004) as Pedagogy of Mathematics the chairperson of HPM, I browse through my memories and the HPM Newsletter issues to pick up information on the activities of HPM HPM Activities 2000-2004 and, more generally, on relevant events related to the links between history and Together with the PME group (International pedagogy in mathematics. Study Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education); the International The period opened with the re-birth of the Study Group on the Relations between the HPM Newsletter, after a period of lethargy. History and Pedagogy of Mathematics (HPM) The first new issue was in November 2000. It is the oldest Study Group of ICMI, both being is recorded as No. 44, but indeed, it should affiliated since 1976. HPM promotes the have been No. 45. To remedy the mistake the interaction of people from three different following issue had the number 46. This is the worlds — mathematics, history and reason why in the collection of HPM pedagogy. The history of mathematics is Newsletter there is no edition numbered 45. considered as a means that may help to With this little mistake we provided future improve mathematics teaching and learning historians with some puzzling material! Peter and to enrich the image of mathematics. The Ransom was appointed as editor. I express my full history of HPM until 2000 appears in a hearty thanks to him. I cannot think of my paper published in the Proceedings of the period in the chair without having Peter at my HPM Newsletter No.56, July 2004, page 1 side. The HPM Newsletter is issued three see Newsletter No. 53, 2003, pp. 4-6. These times per year (in spring, summer and publications are evidence of the interest of autumn) and it is available through the HPM educators for the use of history in website (http://www.mathedu- mathematics teaching. They offer teachers jp.org/hpm/index.htm). A paper version is materials for actual work in the classroom. sent to those who requested it by local distributors in the following regions: In some conferences on mathematics Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium and education there have been special sessions of Netherlands, Canada, China, Eastern Europe, HPM, or sessions in which history and France, Germany, Greece and the Balkans, pedagogy interacted. For example, during the Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, 12th ICMI Study Conference on The future of Morocco, New Zealand, Other East Asia, the teaching and learning of algebra Scandinavia, South America, South Asia, (December 2001, Melbourne), one of the Southern Africa, Spain and Portugal, Taiwan, working groups of the conference was Teheran, Turkey, U.K. and the U.S.A. I am devoted to the history of algebra and its very grateful for all the help and support relation with mathematics education (see the received by the distributors and fully report in the Newsletter No. 49, p. 4). In the appreciate the time they give. 7th Maghrebian symposium on the History of Arabic mathematics (Marrakech, 30 May - 2 In issue No. 44 there was the report by Jan June 2002), there was a panel and van Maanen (pp. 2-4) on the various activities presentations dealing with connections linked to history carried out at ICME-9 between the history and pedagogy of (Tokyo-Makuhari, 2000). Among them the mathematics (see reports in the Newsletter presentation of the book History in No. 50, p. 10 and No. 51, pp. 8-11). The mathematics education: the ICMI Study, bicentenary of Abel’s birth was celebrated in edited by John Fauvel and Jan Van Maanen, the Abel-Fauvel Conference at Kristiansand published in 2000 by Kluwer Academic (Norway, 12-15 June 2002, report in Publishers. The book has been reviewed by Newsletter No. 50, p. 11-12). This conference John Fauvel himself in the Newsletter (No. may be considered a continuation of the 44, pp. 7-9) and in the journal Educational “Learn from the masters” conference held in Studies in Mathematics by Bob Burn (2003, the same place in 1988; as happened in the v. 52, pp. 211-214). In the same year the book first conference, a book of proceedings was Using history to teach mathematics: An also published in 2002 (O.B. Bekken & R. international perspective, edited by Victor Mosvold, editors, Study the masters: The Katz, was published by the Mathematical Abel-Fauvel Conference Proceedings, NCM, Association of America. This book contains Göteborg). In the second International papers presented in 1996 at ICME-8 in Conference on the Teaching of Mathematics Sevilla and in the following HPM Satellite (ICTM2), organised by the University of meeting held in Braga. Crete, there were contributions related to history and a panel titled “On the role of the In the same year (November 2000) the history of mathematics in mathematics National Council of Teachers of Mathematics education” (Newsletter No. 51, p. 8 and No. (NCTM) published a focus issue of their 52, pp. 2-3). In the same year in Riga (Latvia) journal Mathematics Teacher dedicated to a conference on mathematical creativity and mathematics history. The journal featured education for gifted students hosted talks articles and activities very usable by dealing with history. In the 7th Symposium of secondary teachers (see Newsletter No. 46, SEIEM (the Spanish Society of research in 2001, pp. 4-5). An analogous special issue has mathematics education) held in Granada in been published by The Mathematical September 2003, a plenary talk was devoted Association in Britain in their journal to the links of education with the history of Mathematics in School (v. 37, n. 1, 2003) — mathematics and a working group dealt with HPM Newsletter No.56, July 2004, page 2 this subject. In browsing through the Victor Katz on “The Use of history in announcements in the Newsletter we may teaching algebra”, Jim Fulmer on “Preparing note that the French network of IREM (the teachers to use historical modules” and Institutes for Research on Mathematical Shawnee McMurran on “A remarkable Education) has been very active in organising Victorian”. The HPM program in 2003 meetings centred on history, teaching included Edie Mendez, a student of Wilbur mathematics and epistemology. Also South Knorr, speaking on the primary source America was very active in the field. One of research she continues do on Hypatia; the last meetings related to HPM has been the Anthony Piccalino, a Colonial America Inter-American HPM2003 — HPM Satellite researcher, speaking about arithmetic in the Conference of the XI Inter-American North American English colonies; and Frank Conference on Mathematics Education-2003 Swetz, one the experts on Chinese (14-17 July 2003 in Blumenau, Brazil). A mathematics, speaking on Magic Squares. short report is in the HPM Newsletter No.54 Victor Katz discussed the Historical Module (November 2003). project that he and Karen Dee Michalowicz had co-directed. Karen Dee Michalowicz The Americas Section of HPM has its annual ended the meeting with a presentation of her meeting and program each year in April in collection of rare books, including a Clavius conjunction with the annual meeting of the Euclid from the late 1500. The HPM program National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. for 2004 included Dave Zitarelli speaking on HPM-Americas is an affiliate of NCTM. “The Bicentennial of American Mathematics Information about HPM-Americas can be Journals”, and Paul Pasles speaking on “The found on their website http://www.hpm- Most Magically Magical Dr. Franklin”. americas. During 2000-2004, Bob Stein, Cal Victor Katz discussed the new on-line State-San Bernardino has been president of mathematics journal that he and Frank Swetz HPM-Americas and Karen Dee Michalowicz edit. The next HPM annual meeting will be has been the secretary and web site held in Anaheim, California, in April 2005. coordinator (she has sent me the outline here reported about the activities of the Americas Finally, I point out that in ICME-10 program Section of HPM). In addition to a formal the International Study Group HPM will be annual meeting, there are many informal involved in many activities (Newsletter No. meetings held each year throughout North and 55, pp. 2-4). Topic Study Group 17 is entitled South America, many of which occur during “The role of the history of mathematics in joint meeting of the Mathematics Association mathematics education” (team chairs: Man- of America and of the American Mathematics Keung Siu and Costas Tzanakis).
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