Was Pythagoras Chinese

        When I studied The Elements in my undergrad, I did my final paper on the history of the Pythagorean theorem and dug through how different ancient civilizations utilized the triples relationship before Pythagoras’ time. However, I had to do this through reading English textbooks on the history of mathematics instead of reading the original texts or a full translation of the original texts since I could not find many. Meanwhile, some of my peers in the class who had a strong background in reading Chinese were able to read some of the works described in “Was Pythagoras Chinese- Revisiting an Old Debate” by Gustafson (2012) and conduct their paper about Ancient Chinese Mathematics on it. As Gustafson touched on, I do find it interesting how there are no English translations of full texts such as Chua Chang Suan Shu (Gustafson, 2012). This makes it difficult for teachers to access and integrate Chinese Mathematics into their classrooms. It also provides a huge barrier and discourages students to conduct their own research into the history of the Pythagorean Theorem. 

Since it was done for me in my undergrad, I am a strong believer of acknowledging non-European sources of mathematics in the classroom. I can speak from experience that it does make a difference to students when this is done. Our classrooms are so multi-cultural that we should do anything we can to make students feel recognized and valued. By doing this, we are also implementing anti-racism pedagogy. If we as educators value the perspectives of different cultures, it sets a precedent in the classroom against racism and builds a community around it. By acknowledging non-European sources of mathematics, we are also enforcing the fact that there is never just one way to solve a problem. Different people have different methods, and they can all be right. 

I think that naming theorems after European roots is discrediting all the other civilizations and individuals that contributed or discovered ideas before the Europeans. With this being said, I do not think it is necessary to change the name of these theorems now. Instead, we should use it as a teaching moment and look to the present and future. It is necessary for educators to acknowledge that figures such as Pascal, Newton, Euclid, and Pythagoras were in a privileged position as Europeans and how society is still a reflection of historic events. Too often in science, one major discovery is usually a combination of contributions made by individuals who were overlooked. This teaches students to always question the world around them, what they learn, and to not take everything at face value. 

Gustafson, R. (2012). Was Pythagoras Chinese- Revisiting an Old Debate. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 9(1–2), 207–220. https://doi.org/10.54870/1551-3440.1241