What is mathematical knowledge? What and who should be included in mathematics? Who gets to say? These questions are social rather than mathematical, but if we want moremathematics and better mathematical literacy throughout society – and we do I can tell you! –we need to admit them. One approach is through truth-telling in mathematics history. In this talk I shall share a story of mathematics practised by Indigenous civilizations of the Australian continent and islands. I’m afraid this talk will arouse more questions than it answers though! Such as: Can we imagine a mathematics without, say, the whole axiomatic- deductive-proof base that supposedly was bequeathed to Western mathematics by Euclid? Mathematics as we don’t know it? What does one have to do to prove that Indigenous cultures developed mathematics? ‘Discover’ a proof of Pythagoras’ theorem? If not, is the score ancient Greek mathematics 10, Indigenous mathematics 0?

Bio

Professor Rowena Ball is a mathematician and theoretical-chemical-physicist, with research interests in complex dynamical systems. She works on thermoreactive problems and self-structuring emergent processes such as astrophysical dust formation and the emergence of life4 billion years ago. She leads a research-based education program called Mathematics Without Borders about non-Western and Indigenous mathematics and truth-telling in mathematics history, and how this knowledge can inform new mathematical and data science approaches to problems important to Indigenous communities.