Ageless Mathematics
In his book, Here’s Looking at Euclid, Alex Bellos
states, “…math is the history of math. Unlike the humanities, which are in a
permanent state of reinvention as new ideas or fashions replace old ones, and
unlike applied science, where theories are undergoing continual refinement,
mathematics does not age. The theorems of Pythagoras and Euclid are as valid
now as they always were…By age 16, schoolkids have learned almost no math
beyond what was already known in the mid-seventeenth century, and likewise by
the time they are 18 they have not gone beyond the mid-eighteenth century”
(Bellos, 2010, p. xi).
Develop an original response to the following questions:
·
In what ways do you
agree and/or disagree with Bellos’s statement? Provide examples to support your
stance.
·
How does inclusion of
mathematical modeling in K-12 instruction promote innovation and new ideas in
mathematics, even if utilizing ages-old principles? Justify your response.
