Communicating Mathematics Across Culture and Time

Abstract

Mathematics is a method for communicating ideas between people about concepts such as numbers, space and time. In any culture there is a common, structured system for such communication, whether it be in unwritten or written forms. These systems can form bridges of communication across culture and across time. What is communication? Crowley and Heyer (1995: 7) describe communication as ' ... an exchange of information and messages. It is a process. About one hundred thousand years ago our early ancestors communicated through nonverbal gestures and an evolving system of spoken language. As their world became more complex, they needed more than just a shared memory' ... this led to 'the development of media to store and retrieve the growing volume of information.' Communication is about an exchange of information and the techniques humans have developed to store and retrieve that information. It is not necessary to have writing, computer disks and so on: communication can be verbal (oral traditions), non-verbal (gestures, quipu), temporary (sand drawing) or more permanent (clay tablet, woven cloth). Communicating in or about the field of mathematics involves taking part in mathematical discourse, whether by reading, writing, listening or speaking. Discourse is a broader concept than language because it also involves all the activities and practices that are used to make meaning in a particular profession. The discourse of mathematics includes all the ways that mathematics is done: through language, textbooks, mathematicians talking to each other and to a 1 H. Selin (ed.). Mathematics Across Cultures: The History oj Non-Western Mathematics, 1-12.