International Study Group on the Relations Between

HISTORY and PEDAGOGY of MATHEMATICS NEWSLETTER

No. 46, March 2001

An Affiliate of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction

The Establishment of a History of Mathematics Committee in Hungary

On the initiative of Katalin Munkácsy and László Filep, the János Bolyai Mathematical Society of Hungary has decided to form a standing committee for dealing with all matters concerning history of mathematics including its relation to pedagogy, i.e. to the teaching of mathematics. The committee wants to put special emphasis on the history of mathematics in Hungary, and to build up fruitful relations with sister committees in other countries, as well as with ICHM. Moreover, it intends to study the connections between history and pedagogy of mathematics.

The board of the society asked 12 of its members to participate in the work of this History of Mathematics Committee. Professor Ákos Császár, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, was nominated to be chairman, and Katalin Munkácsy, associate professor of the Teacher Training Faculty of Eötvös University of Budapest became its secretary.

The committee held its inaugural meeting on October 4, 2000 in Budapest. Seven members were present, the chairman and secretary, as well as: László Filep, College of Nyíregyháza (myself), István Gazda, Hungarian Science History Institute, Elemér Kiss, University of Tirgu Mures, Romania, Mihály Szalay, Eötvös University, Tibor Weszely, University of Tirgu Mures, Romania.

1. Preparation of the celebration of coming anniversaries of noted Hungarian or Hungarian-born mathematicians, such as
• the bicentenary of the birth of János Bolyai;
  
• the 25th anniversary of the death of László Kalmár and Pál Turán;
  
• the 50th anniversary of the death of Ottó Szász and Pál Dienes;
  
• the centenary of the birth of Ábrahám Wald.
  

2. Activities concerning the celebration of the Bolyai bicentenary. E. Kiss and T. Weszely took the responsibility for coordinating the events to be held in Romania and Hungary.

3. L. Filep informed the committee about the preparation of an English language book on the occasion of Hungary’s millennium. The book gives an overview on the achievements of outstanding Hungarians both in science and humanities. L. Filep is writing the mathematical part.

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