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The role of M (mathematical worlds) in HPM (history and pedagogy of Mathematics) and in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)

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Abstract

It is commonly known that the letter M in the two acronyms HPM and STEM stands for mathematics, and it is natural to regard mathematics as playing a significant role in science education. However, it seems that appropriate attention is not usually accorded to the role of M in the area of STEM where mathematics tends to be marginalized. In fact, throughout history one witnesses STEM at work so that the discussion of HPM and STEM in parallel will be beneficial to both. In both the historical and pedagogical aspects, it may be worthwhile to note that history of mathematics affords some means to mirror several different mathematical worlds in the context of HPM in a pluralistic way in order to offer a fuller view of the subject. In this paper I examine this issue through sampling many examples gleaned from the history of mathematics, particularly the role of M in the world of science and technology.

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Notes

  1. this paper is a modified, corrected and expanded text of a plenary lecture “Mathematical World (or Worlds?) In the Context of HPM” related to theme 4 (Mathematics and its relation to science, technology, and the arts: historical issues and interdisciplinary teaching and learning) of the HPM Satellite Meeting of the 14th International Congress of Mathematical Education in July of 2021.

  2. In his original work Maxwell formulated his theory in a cumbersome mathematical form of twenty equations because vector analysis was not yet in its matured form, to be built up later with significant impetus from the study of electromagnetic theory. The standard set of the four Maxwell’s equations familiar to a physics students of today was a recast of the twenty equations by the English mathematical physicist Oliver Heaviside (1850–1925) in 1884, himself a main figure in building up vector analysis.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to express his sincere gratitude to the editor-in-chief, the guest editors and the reviewers for their constructive comments, which helped to bring about a much improved version of the original manuscript.

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  1. Department of Mathematics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Siu Man-Keung

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Man-Keung, S. The role of M (mathematical worlds) in HPM (history and pedagogy of Mathematics) and in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). ZDM Mathematics Education 54, 1643–1655 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01375-1

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