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Was Pythagoras Chinese? A response

 

This article brings up several interesting ideas and expands the history of math significantly from what most of us have grown up with. As we as are culture slowly starting to recognize the importance of representation in the media we consume, but the conversation around representation in our education system seems to be still developing. In math classes, we have the opportunity to vastly expand the scope of our students' mathematical role models and historical figures beyond the 'traditional' Greek and European people. 

Many theories are named after the Greek or European thinkers who popularized them in that particular area of the world. I think it's still important to teach students those names for the theories so that they can understand, and communicate well with, mathematicians throughout the world. However, finding other thinkers from other ancient cultures and associating their names with those theories as well broadens students' learning and possibly allows non-white students to feel more connected with some of the theories.

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