Evolution of proof form in Japanese geometry textbooks

Marion Cousin (1) , Takeshi Miyakawa (2)

1 EA S2HEP - Sciences et Société ; Historicité, Éducation et Pratiques
2 Leibniz - IMAG - Laboratoire Leibniz

This study discusses the evolution of mathematical proofs in Japanese junior high school geometry textbooks and the conditions and constraints that have shaped them. We analyse the evolution of these proofs from their inception in the Meiji era (1868-1912) to the present. The results imply that features of the Japanese language affected the evolution of proof form in Japan and shaped the use of proofs in Japan as written, but not oral, justification for mathematical statements.

Keywords: Secondary school mathematics; history of education; textbook analysis

Domains: Mathematics [math]; Humanities and Social Sciences

Marion Cousin, Takeshi Miyakawa. Evolution of proof form in Japanese geometry textbooks. CERME 10, Feb 2017, Dublin, Ireland. ⟨hal-01873066⟩