Was Pythagoras Chinese?

I think it can change students’ perspectives on mathematics if we acknowledge non-European sources. Throughout my learning of mathematics from high school to post-secondary, a majority (if not all of it) came from European and Greek sources. Acknowledging mathematics from non-European sources can be an opportunity to bring multicultural education into the classroom and learn mathematics from different cultural lens. This could be a sense of pride for students when they learn about a subject that has origins from their own cultural/ethnic backgrounds thereby forming a connection to the topic. As mentioned in the reading, both Chinese and Greek mathematicians were highly intelligent and made many similar discoveries and big accomplishments such as the approximation for π, Right Triangle Theory, and other contributions to number theory and geometry. Gustafson concludes that the accepted history of mathematics in the Western world largely ignores China’s contributions to mathematics due to their geographic isolation during ancient times (2012).  

I do not think it would make much of a difference to students’ learning if we were to rename the Pythagorean theorem as the Gougu theorem because the theory is essentially the same. However, it is worth noting that China still refers to the Pythagorean theorem as the Gougu theorem, therefore it might be confusing for Chinese students when they learn the same idea referred to by a different name and vice versa. I do feel like there is a sense of colonialism when it comes to naming of these mathematical theorems and concepts because its naming comes ultimately by those who tell its story. It is the sense of negligence or unknowingly claiming ownership over earlier civilizations or groups that discovered the idea and renaming it something else. It is like retelling a joke your friend told you in class but louder so the entire class can hear. It becomes something you become known for without acknowledging where it came from, which is why regardless of what the mathematical theorem or concept is called, other origins of the idea should be acknowledged when presented.

 

Visual proof of Gougou Theorem

Reading: Gustafson, R. 2012. Was Pythagoras Chinese-Revisiting an Old Debate. The Mathematics Enthusiast: Vol. 9: No. 1, Article 10.