Ethnomathematics : a multicultural view of mathematical ideas

Book

Ethnomathematics : a multicultural view of mathematical ideas / Marcia Ascher.

Ascher, Marcia, 1935-2013 (Author).

Summary:

In this truly one-of-a-kind book, Ascher introduces the mathematical ideas of people in traditional, or "small-scale", cultures often omitted from discussion of mathematics. Topics such as "Numbers: Words and Symbols", "Tracing Graphs in the Sand", "The Logic of Kin Relations", "Chance and Strategy in Games and Puzzles", and "The Organization and Modeling of Space" are traced in various cultures including the Inuit, Navajo, and Iroquois of North America; the Inca of South America; the Malekula, Warlpiri, Maori, and Caroline Islanders of Oceania, and the Tshokwe, Bushoong, and Kpelle of Africa.

As Ascher explores mathematical ideas involving numbers, logic, spatial configuration, and the organization of these into systems and structures, readers gain both a broader understanding and anappreciation for the idease of other peoples.

Record details

ISBN: 0534148808
ISBN: 9780534148805
Physical Description: ix, 203 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Publisher: Pacific Grove, Calif. : Brooks/Cole Pub. Co., ©1991.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:: Numbers: words and symbols -- Tracing graphs in the sand -- Logic of kin relations -- Chance and strategy in games and puzzles -- Organization and modeling of space -- Symmetric strip decorations -- in conclusion: Ethnomathematics.