Though I recorded 3 points of surprise in this reading, they are very closely related. My first point of surprise came on page 4, where the author discusses how we had records of the Greeks learning and sharing mathematics but these records were dismissed in favour of the umbrella of "Greek mathematics". I had previously been operating under the assumption that mathematics in non-Greek civilizations was a more recent discovery. My second moment of surprise came on page 7 with the description of 'Arab' contributions to mathematics, namely algebra. My recollection of mathematics history from my K12 education is essentially Figure 1.1; primarily that the Renaissance began because the 'Arab' civilization, acting as custodians of Greek mathematics, were able to re-introduce said maths into European society. This leads into my final point of surprise, which is Figure 1.4 and what it represents. I had no idea there was so much mathematical knowledge not only being developed, but also shared so widely, particularly during the "Dark Ages" of Europe. This figure speaks volumes about the human desire to share and learn new knowledge, across both cultural and geographic barriers.
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Isn't it surprising to find out how much research and learning was happening during the so-called Dark Ages? I find it very encouraging that this work continued and flourished in the Islamic world, China, India and elsewhere.
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