Was Pythagoras Chinese?

   I believe it makes a difference to students' learning whether or not non-European sources of mathematics is recognized.  I think it is an effective way to attract the attention of students when they can relate some part of themselves to the material being explored.  It can also be interesting for students to inquire about different cultures and investigate what factors might have been in play for the methods to be different from Euro-centric mathematics.  To do this, I would use activities similar to the ones we have been doing in our EDCP 442 and 342 class, exploring different ways a problem can be seen and solved and looking at the history behind it.

    I think the naming of the most well-known mathematical theorems and concepts is a depiction of a society that holds European culture at a higher level than other cultures.  Looking at the history of both the Pythagorean Theorem and Pascal's Triangle, there are roots in Chinese documents, before the time of Pythagoras and Pascal.  The Pythagorean Theorem was first recorded by the Old Babylonians and shows up in a clay tablet, Plimpton 322.