International Symposium:
"Mathematics and Cultures"

Merzig, 19 November 2007

RegistrationConference Concept

Following its origins in the idea of a reciprocal ethnology, the Transcultura-Network has always been interested in those practices of human understanding that are relevant to the dialogue between and across cultures. While mathematics is arguably one of these practices, its has not been a central concern of transcultural research. The topic 'Mathematics and Cultures' was chosen to both complement and expand the scope of research conducted within the Network, and continue the tradition of transcultural exchange across disciplinary boundaries.

The symposium also signals the transition from the Year of the Humanities (2007) to the upcoming Year of Mathematics (2008). Whereas epistemological debates regarding the scientific status of mathematical knowledges are likely to continue, math is also, and undeniably so, one of the humanities. The symposium draws attention to the extent to which math and its methods cut across the divide between the humanities and the natural sciences, attracting the attention of transcultural research to its complex history and the diversity of its contemporary practices. In Merzig, several well-known mathematicians and historians of science will contribute their perspectives to the symposium, engaging both scientific peers as well as a general audience in this exchange.

More than a generation ago, the British scientist Charles Percy Snow expressed his hope that a 'third culture' of dialogue, reciprocity, and mutual inspiration would offer an alternative to the competitive relationship between the humanities and the natural sciences. The symposium builds on this inspiration and develops its transcultural implications in the context of research conducted within the Transcultura-Network.

The perspectives presented in Merzig suggest that mathematics, too, is influenced by cultural determinations, and can no longer be understood in terms of a homogenous scientific practice. Instead, contributors stress the cultural heterogeneity and diversity of mathematical approaches and practices. In such a context, the humanities continue to play a key role in facilitating cross-disciplinary processes of mediation.

Deliberately engaging teachers and students of mathematics in this exchange, the conference convenors want to encourage the transfer of these debates into the classroom and support the continuation of a cross-disciplinary dialogue characterized by mutuality and reciprocity. Numerous sponsors have already recognized the significance of such an effort and decided to support the organization of the symposium as a transnational event.

Conference Convenors:
Saarland University

Scientific Background Note

The scientific practices that constitute “mathematics” are human creations. They are the result of multifaceted activities at the heart of diverse societies. To varying degrees, they are therefore inseparable from the cultural dynamics that characterize each of these societies. Considered from this perspective, it is illusory to rank these practices and even less so the scientific traditions within which they were developed, especially when the vast majority of these traditions are themselves based on the cultural inheritance of the societies that preceded them.

Despite these qualifications, it is necessary to continue the exploration of the linkages and possible interactions between these mathematical practices and their respective cultural environments. More concretely, and despite reciprocal influences, mathematics has been practiced for the same reasons and following the same approaches in the societies and eras of the engraving of the Ishango bone (20th millennium BC), the scribes of Egypt and Babylon (2nd millennium BC), Euclid (3rd century BC), Liu Hui (3rd century), Brahmagupta (7th century), Ibn al-Haytham (11th century), Fermat (17th century), Gauss (19th century) and of Terence Tao, one of the four mathematicians awarded a field medal last year.

It is equally necessary to explore two other dimensions of mathematics, those of their place and their role as cultural vectors, across their historical, artistic and even ludic registers.

This is a matter of great contemporary relevance if one is concerned about the role of policy makers in the management of educational systems. The symposium “Mathematics and Culture”, held on the occasion of the inauguration of the Transcultural European Observatory in Merzig, aims, through interventions and exchanges, to increase our knowledge of the linkages that exist between the history of these very specialized practices and their respective cultural environments. It also intends to advance our understanding of the cultural dimensions of mathematics in a larger sense, ranging from their role in the education of citizens to the development of the concept of transculturality.

Ahmed Djebbar
University of Lille I