THE CHICKEN AND DOG POEM PROBLEM IN FOLK ACTIVITIES
Nội dung chính của bài viết
Tóm tắt
This study explores the transformation of the classical Chinese mathematical problem “Chickens and Rabbits in the Same Cage” into the Vietnamese version “Chickens and Dogs”, as reflected in Sino-Nom mathematical texts and modern educational materials. Based on an analysis of five Sino-Nom mathematical texts, the study identifies the Temporary Assumption Method as the central reasoning technique used across these versions. The findings reveal a gradual process of localization: early Vietnamese texts retained the original “chicken and rabbit” form, whereas later works replaced the rabbit with the dog, a more familiar and culturally resonant animal in Vietnamese daily life. By the mid-twentieth century, the problem had evolved into a mathematical poem, first recorded in Mathematical Folk Songs (1950), and it has continued to appear in mathematics education from primary to lower-secondary levels. The study shows that mathematical knowledge in Vietnam was not merely transmitted, but also reinterpreted within local cultural, linguistic, and educational contexts.
Từ khóa
Chicken and Dog poem, Han Nom Math books, folk math, math riddles, game
Chi tiết bài viết
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