Mathematics in Tribal Philippines and Other Societies in the South Pacific

Abstract

Many history-of-mathematics textbooks begin with the four ancient centers of civilization: Egypt, with its pyramids and Rhind papyri; Babylon, with its cuneiform blocks and sexagesimal system; China, with its magic squares and arithmetic classics; and India, with its Sanskrit manuscripts and numeral system. The focus then shifts chronologically to Greek geometry, Arab algebra, Renaissance calculus, nineteenth-century specializations, and finally, the technologically aided wonders of our present age.