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COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
IN
MATH 401 (HISTORY IN MATHEMATICS)

July 15, 16, & 17, 2021

Answer the following:

1. Discuss the scope & limits of Critical Mathematics Education.

Critical Mathematics Education was brought into prominence by a scholar Ole Skovsmose in the
past 25 years and has a number of godparents like Ubiratan D’Ambrosio, and in Scandinavia, Bent
Christiansen and Stieg Mellin-Olsen. CME is by now well established and recognized
worldwide with strong followings in Europe, North America, and countries of the south such
as Brazil and South Africa. It is central to the concerns of conferences such as the Political
Dimensions of Mathematics Education series, and the continuing series Mathematics Education
and Society.

The word ‘critical’ has several meanings. First, a situation or problem is critical when the situation
or problem is at a point of crisis, a turning point where conditions may deteriorate or improve
dramatically, or where action is needed to guide events in one direction or another. Next, critical
remarks or criticism is the expression of adverse, negative or disapproving comments or
judgements. Lastly, to critique is to analyze the merits and faults of something, typically a
cultural product, possibly to uncover and evaluate its hidden dimensions of meaning and social
and cultural significance. These means that (CME) Critical Mathematics education is described in
terms of ‘concerns’ which cover the following issues:
1. Citizenship identifies schooling as including the preparation of students to be an active part
of political life.
2. Mathematics may serve as a tool for identifying and analyzing critical features of society,
which may be global as well as having to do with the local environment of students.
3. The students’ interest emphasizes that the focus of education cannot be the transformation
of (pure) knowledge; instead, educational practice must be understood in terms of acting
persons.
4. Culture and conflicts raise basic questions about discrimination. Does mathematics education
reproduce inequalities which might be established by factors outside education but,
nevertheless, are reinforced by educational practice?
5. Mathematics itself might be problematic because of the function of mathematics as part of
modem technology, which no longer can be reviewed with optimism. Mathematics is not
only a tool for critique but also an object of critique.
6. Critical mathematics education concentrates on life in the classroom to the extent that the
communication between teacher and students can reflect power relations.
Therefore, Critical mathematics education refers to concerns which have to do with both research
and practice, and a concern for equity and social justice.
2. Explain the importance & the possibility of ethics for Mathematics Education.

Mathematics education involves actions informed by beliefs about what is important or

worthwhile; thus, mathematics education involves value and values, including in relation to
fostering well-being or conversely diminishing it. The consideration of value involves variously
moral reasoning, ethics and attending to justice, care and similar qualities.

How we speak of such matters and the language we choose to use entails commitments to, or the
prioritizing of, values and to advocating for particular positions or standpoints in moral
philosophy has an impact in our education. Recent concern with value in mathematics education
has often been from a sociopolitical perspective and framed through a consideration of equity and
social justice. This has made important contributions to understanding the effects of
mathematics education in society and the sociocultural influences on school mathematics.

Moreover, like all human beings and professionals, mathematics teachers share an obligation of
care towards those in their charge. Exercising this responsibility at its best provides a source and
model of inspiration for students, both in the present and for the future. Beyond this, ethical
mathematics teaching requires an analysis and scrutiny of the aims of school mathematics and
their implications, epistemologically, socially and ethically. Mathematics teachers share the
obligation to consider the ethical consequences of different pedagogies, and selections of content
and representations of content. The ethics of teaching must address the dilemmas posed by the
spread of achievement levels in mathematics and to reconcile it with the obligation to provide an
equal treatment of all students.
3. Is Mathematics invented or discovered by Human? Support your answer.
Mathematics is the language of science and has enabled mankind to make extraordinary
technological advances.
According from the article by Derek Abbott, Math is innate. The reason mathematics is the
natural language of science, is that the universe is underpinned by the same order. The structures
of mathematics are intrinsic to nature. Moreover, if the universe disappeared tomorrow, our
eternal mathematical truths would still exist. It is up to us to discover mathematics and its
workings, his will then assist us in building models that will give us predictive power and
understanding of the physical phenomena we seek to control.
Another point is Math is a human construct. It is a product of the human mind, and we make
mathematics up as we go along to suit our purposes. If the universe disappeared, there would be
no mathematics in the same way that there would be no football, tennis, chess or any other set
of rules with relational structures that we contrived. Therefore, for me Mathematics is not
discovered, it is invented because if we accept that mathematics is invented, rather than
discovered, we can be more daring, ask deeper questions, and be motivated to create further
change.

4. Using a truth table for each of the following, determine which statements below are tautologies.

a. ( P → Q) → (P V Q)

P Q
T T
T F
F T
F F
~P ( P → Q) ~(P V Q) ( P → Q) → (~P V Q)
F T T T
F F F T
T T T T
T T T T

∴ This statement is a Tautology

 b. (P v Q) → (P⋀ Q)
P Q (P V Q) (P⋀ Q) (P v Q) → (P⋀ Q)
T T T T T
T F T F F
F T T F F
F F F F T

∴ This statement is NOT a Tautology

c. (P ↔ Q) ↔ [(P → Q) ∧ (Q → P)]

P Q (P ↔ Q) (P → Q) (Q → P) P → Q) ∧ (Q → P) (P ↔ Q) ↔ [(P → Q) ∧ (Q → P)
T T T T T T T
T F F F T F T
F T F T F F T
F F T T T T T

∴ This statement is a Tautology

GOD BLESS!!!!