Mathematics of the Incas

Mathematics of the Incas
Author: Marcia Ascher
Publisher: Courier Corporation
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2013-01-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0486152707

Unique, thought-provoking study discusses quipu, an accounting system employing knotted, colored cords, used by Incas. Cultural context, mathematics involved, and even how to make a quipu. Over 125 illustrations.

Introduction to Cultural Mathematics

Introduction to Cultural Mathematics
Author: Thomas E. Gilsdorf
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2012-04-17
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 111811552X

INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL MATHEMATICS Challenges readers to think creatively about mathematics and ponder its role in their own daily lives Cultural mathematics, or ethnomathematics as it is also known, studies the relationship between mathematics and culture—with the ultimate goal of contributing to an appreciation of the connection between the two. Introduction to Cultural Mathematics: With Case Studies in the Otomies and Incas integrates both theoretical and applied aspects of the topic, promotes discussions on the development of mathematical concepts, and provides a comprehensive reference for teaching and learning about multicultural mathematical practices. This illuminating book provides a nontraditional, evidence-based approach to mathematics that promotes diversity and respect for cultural heritages. Part One covers such major concepts as cultural aspects of mathematics, numeration and number symbols, kinship relations, art and decoration, games, divination, and calendars. Part Two takes those concepts and applies them to fascinating case studies of both the Otomies of Central Mexico and the Incas of South America. Throughout the book, numerous illustrations, examples, and motivational questions promote an interactive understanding of the topic. Each chapter begins with questions that encourage a cooperative, inquiry-based approach to learning and concludes with a series of exercises that allow readers to test their understanding of the presented material. Introduction to Cultural Mathematics is an ideal book for courses on cultural mathematics, the history of mathematics, and cultural studies. The book is also a valuable resource and reference for anyone interested in the connections between mathematics, culture, anthropology, and history.

Math in Society

Math in Society
Author: David Lippman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2012-09-07
Genre: Electronic books
ISBN: 9781479276530

Math in Society is a survey of contemporary mathematical topics, appropriate for a college-level topics course for liberal arts major, or as a general quantitative reasoning course.This book is an open textbook; it can be read free online at http://www.opentextbookstore.com/mathinsociety/. Editable versions of the chapters are available as well.

Native American Mathematics

Native American Mathematics
Author: Michael P. Closs
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 444
Release: 2010-06-28
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0292789815

There is no question that native cultures in the New World exhibit many forms of mathematical development. This Native American mathematics can best be described by considering the nature of the concepts found in a variety of individual New World cultures. Unlike modern mathematics in which numbers and concepts are expressed in a universal mathematical notation, the numbers and concepts found in native cultures occur and are expressed in many distinctive ways. Native American Mathematics, edited by Michael P. Closs, is the first book to focus on mathematical development indigenous to the New World. Spanning time from the prehistoric to the present, the thirteen essays in this volume attest to the variety of mathematical development present in the Americas. The data are drawn from cultures as diverse as the Ojibway, the Inuit (Eskimo), and the Nootka in the north; the Chumash of Southern California; the Aztec and the Maya in Mesoamerica; and the Inca and Jibaro of South America. Among the strengths of this collection are this diversity and the multidisciplinary approaches employed to extract different kinds of information. The distinguished contributors include mathematicians, linguists, psychologists, anthropologists, and archaeologists.

The Development of Mathematics Throughout the Centuries

The Development of Mathematics Throughout the Centuries
Author: Brian Evans
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2014-02-24
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1118853970

Throughout the book, readers take a journey throughout time and observe how people around the world have understood these patterns of quantity, structure, and dimension around them. The Development of Mathematics Throughout the Centuries: A Brief History in a Cultural Contex provides a brief overview of the history of mathematics in a very straightforward and understandable manner and also addresses major findings that influenced the development of mathematics as a coherent discipline. This book: Highlights the contributions made by various world cultures including African, Egyptian, Babylonian, Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and pre-Columbian American mathematics Features an approach that is not too rigorous and is ideal for a one-semester course of the history of mathematics. Includes a Resources and Recommended Reading section for further exploration and has been extensively classroom-tested

Signs of the Inka Khipu

Signs of the Inka Khipu
Author: Gary Urton
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2003-08-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0292785402

In an age when computers process immense amounts of information by the manipulation of sequences of 1s and 0s, it remains a frustrating mystery how prehistoric Inka recordkeepers encoded a tremendous variety and quantity of data using only knotted and dyed strings. Yet the comparison between computers and khipu may hold an important clue to deciphering the Inka records. In this book, Gary Urton sets forth a pathbreaking theory that the manipulation of fibers in the construction of khipu created physical features that constitute binary-coded sequences which store units of information in a system of binary recordkeeping that was used throughout the Inka empire. Urton begins his theory with the making of khipu, showing how at each step of the process binary, either/or choices were made. He then investigates the symbolic components of the binary coding system, the amount of information that could have been encoded, procedures that may have been used for reading the khipu, the nature of the khipu signs, and, finally, the nature of the khipu recording system itself—emphasizing relations of markedness and semantic coupling. This research constitutes a major step forward in building a unified theory of the khipu system of information storage and communication based on the sum total of construction features making up these extraordinary objects.

Mathematics for the Liberal Arts

Mathematics for the Liberal Arts
Author: Donald Bindner
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2014-08-21
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1118371747

Presents a clear bridge between mathematics and the liberal arts Mathematics for the Liberal Arts provides a comprehensible and precise introduction to modern mathematics intertwined with the history of mathematical discoveries. The book discusses mathematical ideas in the context of the unfolding story of human thought and highlights the application of mathematics in everyday life. Divided into two parts, Mathematics for the Liberal Arts first traces the history of mathematics from the ancient world to the Middle Ages, then moves on to the Renaissance and finishes with the development of modern mathematics. In the second part, the book explores major topics of calculus and number theory, including problem-solving techniques and real-world applications. This book emphasizes learning through doing, presents a practical approach, and features: A detailed explanation of why mathematical principles are true and how the mathematical processes work Numerous figures and diagrams as well as hundreds of worked examples and exercises, aiding readers to further visualize the presented concepts Various real-world practical applications of mathematics, including error-correcting codes and the space shuttle program Vignette biographies of renowned mathematicians Appendices with solutions to selected exercises and suggestions for further reading Mathematics for the Liberal Arts is an excellent introduction to the history and concepts of mathematics for undergraduate liberal arts students and readers in non-scientific fields wishing to gain a better understanding of mathematics and mathematical problem-solving skills.

The Incas

The Incas
Author: Terence N. D'Altroy
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 578
Release: 2014-05-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1444331159

The Incas is a captivating exploration of one of the greatest civilizations ever seen. Seamlessly drawing on history, archaeology, and ethnography, this thoroughly updated new edition integrates advances made in hundreds of new studies conducted over the last decade. • Written by one of the world’s leading experts on Inca civilization • Covers Inca history, politics, economy, ideology, society, and military organization • Explores advances in research that include pre-imperial Inca society; the royal capital of Cuzco; the sacred landscape; royal estates; Machu Picchu; provincial relations; the khipu information-recording technology; languages, time frames, gender relations, effects on human biology, and daily life • Explicitly examines how the Inca world view and philosophy affected the character of the empire • Illustrated with over 90 maps, figures, and photographs