Speaker: Lina Ellis (Northern Arizona University)

Location and Time: AC1 113, 2:50–3:20pm

Title: The sacred side of mathematics: Sangaku in Edo Period Japan and their influence today

Abstract: Sangaku, or calculation tablets, are wooden tablets with geometrical problems or theorems displayed prominently in Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples throughout Edo Period Japan. Displayed in a public place of worship and available to people of all classes, they were meant to expose the general public to geometric theorems. Sangaku celebrate the power of mathematics in binding society and reinforcing positive human connections. The placement of these tablets at locations of religious and societal importance of the time, as well as the custom of including the solution at the end of the tablet, implies that these theorems were meant not only as offerings to the religious entities, but as fun puzzles for the general public as well. It is recorded that people went to these places to pray for the discovery of more complex mathematical problems. The influence of Sangaku on math education continues today, with elements reflected in the modern day Japanese approach to teaching mathematics. This paper focuses on math education in the context of the general history of mathematics in Japan, the role of Sangaku, and their influence on the modern day Japanese approach to teaching mathematics.