Mathematics Used by Indians North of Mexico

In this short chapter, you will see a collection of remarkable mathematical-like observations of these Indians. Though at an intuitive level, these observations reveal an internal mathematical sense that emerges in a culture that is scarcely agrarian and is partly nomadic. More closely a hunter-gatherer type of existance, you will see various numbers as important to indians and also particular geometric shapes appearing on clothing, pottery, and as earthen monuments.

Goals

Among the many features you should regard are:

Teaching and Pedagogy.

• Pedagogy. Analyse how mathematical knowledge was passed from generation to generation.
• How can you generate precise geometrical shapes, such as a star, octagon or even square with no theoretical tools whatsoever?
• Are reasons evident why one number should be "preferred" over another to the various Indian tribes.
• What do the various number bases indicate about common origins?

References

• From Five Fingers to Infinity, A Journey Through the History of Mathematics, Frank J. Swetz, Ed., Open Court, Chicago, 1994.