Eglash: Contemporary math often excludes non-Western ideas

Non-Western concepts are often missing from contemporary math, despite their potential to expand the field and improve math education. 

Ghanaian adinkra, for example, includes a symbol composed of two triangles — one with a square attached to it, but missing a circle; the other missing a square, but with a circle attached to it — that complete each other.  

“There is no math concept in Europe for ‘complete me,’” says Ron Eglash, professor at the University of Michigan School of Information and Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design.

Eglash is widely known for his work in ethnomathematics, which considers the relationship between math and culture. He spoke with Science News about the discipline he created, called “ethnocomputing.”  

In collaboration with Audrey Bennett, professor at the Stamps School, Eglash has developed free online coding tools using the math principles found in cornrows, Native American beadwork, henna designs, Ghanaian adinkra and more. His research suggests that these tools can improve math scores among students who are underrepresented in STEM fields. 

“There is a relationship between the geometric meaning and the social meaning,” Eglash says.

Read “Non-Western art and design can reveal alternate ways of thinking about math” in Science News.

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Learn more about professor Ron Eglash by visiting his UMSI faculty profile.