Ethnomathematics : A Multicultural View of Mathematical Ideas

Topics such as "Numbers: Work and Symbols","Tracing Graphs in the Sand", "The Logic of Kin Relations", "Chance and Strategy in Games and Puzzles" and "The Organisation and Modeling of Space" are traced in various cultures including the Inuit, Navajo and Iroquois of North America; the Inca of South America; the Malekula, Warlpiri, Maori, and Caroline Islanders of Oceania; and the Tshokwe, Bushoong and Kpelle of Africa. As Ascher explores mathematical ideas involving numbers, logic, spatial configuration, and the organisation of these into broader systems and structures, readers gain both a broader understanding and an appreciation for the ideas of other peoples.