"Should a teacher of mathematics know something about the history of
mathematics?" is the title of one of Hans Freudenthal's papers -- always
thought-provoking and sharp.
"Historical notes in school textbooks are often small, isolated
'stories', often misleading, and more entertaining than true."
Freudenthal also raises other (perhaps *unanswerable*) questions concerning
the history of mathematics, which might be of interest in education:
[1] Why was *that* (topic, concept, whatever) not discovered before?
[2] From what problems did a certain area develop?
[3] What were the forces behind it?
[4] Why was that discovery so important and still so hidden that
contemporaries did not see it?"
It is often claimed that History of Mathematics should be integrated
knowledge, more guided by history than by mathematics, and paying more
attention to the processes than to the products.
Any comments?...
Let me point out that almost 600 members (from more than 60 countries)
inhabit this forum, most of them world-class scholars. Unfortunately, for
whatever reasons, some of them are usually silent. I urge them to take a
more active attitude towards the list. Even a (short) message every six
months, say, would be most welcome and appreciated! I would like to thank
all, but especially those who maintain the list alive and kicking.
Best regards,
Julio Gonzalez Cabillon
PS I again mention the possibility of the digest version of the list, which
was implemented some time ago. This means that, instead of receiving *each
message* as an individual posting, you receive a *group of messages* clumped
together as a digest, one per day. Consequently, you download just SEVEN
emails per week! Please let me know in case you would be interested in
receiving the new format.