• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.331-352
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• 2015

There are lots of disabled mathematicians who overcame their disabilities and made great achievement to the world of mathematics. In this article, we introduce disabled mathematicians who overcome their disabilities and contributes to the development of mathematics: Nicholas Saunderson, Leonhard Euler, Lewis Carroll, Solomon Lefschetz, Louis Antoine, Gaston Maurice Julia, Lev Semenovich Pontryagin, Abraham Nemeth, John Nash, Bernard Morin, Anatoli G. Vitushkin, Lawrence W. Baggett, Norberto Salinas, Theodore John Kaczynski, Richard E. Borcherds, Dimitri Kanevsky, Hwang Yun-seong, Emmanuel Giroux, Kim In-kang, Zachary J. Battles, and Pratish Datta. As well, we classify mathematics education environments and the role education played in helping these mathematicians overcome their disabilities and other obstacles. Then, we discuss educational environmental changes in the 21st century for special mathematics education.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.515-530
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• 2016

Recently an extensive study of the mathematicians who have overcome the visually impaired and contribute to the academic in math was published. In the case of Korea, we can find there are mathematicians who have overcome physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy and polio. However there is no example of blind person who majored mathematics to become a mathematic's teacher or professor and have entered any mathematics related professions. This let us to study the reasons that caused difficulties to visually impaired students majoring in mathematics. We also suggest ways that may help blind students to have access to mathematics intuitively. In this study, we propose a tactile mathematics textbooks and teaching manuals utilizing 3D printing which the visually impaired students can touch and feel. We can supply such materials to visually impaired youth, special education teachers and parents in Korea. As a result, visually impaired students will be able to access mathematics easily and can build their confidence in mathematics. We hope that some blind students with mathematical talent do not hesitate to major mathematics and choose career in mathematical professions.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.91-106
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• 2005

History of mathematics must be analysed to discuss mathematical reality and thinking. Analysis of history of mathematics is the method of understanding mathematical activity, by these analysis can we know how historically mathematician' activity progress and mathematical concepts develop. In this respects, we investigate teaching algebra through historico-genetic analysis and propose historico-genetic analysis as alternative method to improve of teaching school algebra. First the necessity of historico-genetic analysis is discussed, and we think of epistemological obstacles through these analysis. Next we focus two concepts i.e. letters(unknowns) and negative numbers which is dealt with school algebra. To apply historico-genetic analysis to school algebra, some historical texts relating to letters and negative numbers is analysed, and mathematics educational discussions is followed with experimental researches.