Central American mathematics

Summary: Mesoamericans were sophisticated mathematicians, and mathematics continues to be important in the area.

Central America is defined as the southern part of the North American continent, reaching from Mexico to Panama. The portion of the region in which corn, beans, and squash were reliable crops during the pre-Columbian era is referred to as “Mesoamerica,” reaching from the mountains of Mexico to Guatemala and down the Pacific coast into Nicaragua. Teotihuacan, Olmec, Maya, and Aztec were among the many cultures sharing the same prehistoric land and cultural legacy.

The development of the area and its perspective on mathematics were shaped in part by the origins of civilization isolated from the other large centers of civilization in the Eastern Hemisphere. Spanish colonization in the sixteenth century brought the first introduction to European cultures. Efforts at spreading Christianity resulted in the loss of much of their rich, ancient heritage. The area had gained independence by the mid-nineteenth century, variously structured as separate nations and unified groups. Struggles to achieve stability continue into the twenty-first century in many parts of the region. Education and mathematics are highly valued as keys to further progress.

Ancient Mesoamerica

Without the benefit of influence from other cultures, the ancient Mesoamericans built large city-states sometimes supporting several hundred thousand people, and extensive empires, with no domesticated large mammals and with no use of the wheel, other than in children’s toys. They mastered basic arithmetic, with a concept of zero evident a millennium before European civilizations. They shared a counting system based on 20 rather than 10. Numeral representations included dots for units, bars for five, and a circle or seashell for zero. Ancient ruins show evidence of meticulous accounting of trade and personal lives. The construction of imposing pyramids and other structures aligned to astronomical features and adorned with harmonic geometric design reveal an advanced level of engineering, architecture, and astronomy to rival that found in Europe at the same time. From as early as 2000 b.c.e., the people of the area had sophisticated calendars, which were used in tandem to mark time reflecting both human and solar cycles. Ethnomathematicians continue to study ancient and modern Central America, and many teachers use Mesoamerican mathematics concepts as the basis of lesson plans and assignments.

Modern Central America

Central America is defined by the United Nations to include the modern countries of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. The countries share ethnic, economic, and geological features. The peoples are primarily Spanish, Amerindian, or Mestizo (a mixture of the two). The climate ranges from mountainous to tropical coastline. While significant portions of the population are centered in large urban areas, much of the population of the region is located in small villages, sometimes isolated by rugged terrain.

Education

Central Americans are continuously improving their education systems, and efforts at reform often include careful inclusion of children from both urban and rural areas with the use of radio, television, and computer technologies. Teacher salaries and the contrasts of management of schools by local or federal administrators are recent areas of research. United Nations data report high participation in formal schooling. Private schools usually are more prestigious than public schools in most areas.

As calendars held power in ancient Mesoamerica, knowledge of mathematics is held to be essential for the people in modern Central America. High school graduates receive extensive content instruction in mathematics and science but historically with little emphasis on mathematics applications. Teachers are encouraged to teach mathematics in context rather than as an isolated, esoteric discipline both for the better understanding and for the application of learning to solve problems and promote progress. Recent research in mathematics from the region includes a diverse range of areas like topology, noncommutative geometry, and applied mathematics.

Mathematics researchers gather for conferences, research seminars, educational forums, and social events. For example, the Sociedad Matemática Mexicana (Mexican Mathematical Society) was founded in 1943. The society’s goals include encouraging mathematical research, including cooperation with related scientific disciplines; improving mathematics education at primary, secondary, and college levels; and providing various forums for discussion and dissemination, including journals and conferences.

Bibliography

Evans, Susan. Ancient Mexico & Central America: Archaeology and Culture History. London: Thames & Hudson, 2008.

Jimenez, Emanuel, and Sawada, Yasuyuki. “Do Community-Managed Schools Work? An Evaluation of El Salvador’s EDUCO Program.” World Bank Review 13, no. 3 (1999).

Sociedad Matemática Mexicana. http://smm.org.mx/smm.

Valero, Paolo. “Deliberative Mathematics Education for Social Democratization in Latin America.” Mathematics Teaching and Democratic Education, Part 2. ZDM The International Journal of Mathematics Education 31, no. 1 (1999).

Vegas, Emiliana, and Llana Umansky. “Improving Teaching and Learning Through Effective Incentives: Lessons From Educational Reform in Latin America,” The World Bank, February, 2005. http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/242822/day5Improving%20teaching%20and%20learning‗Final.pdf.