In this truly one-of-a-kind book, Ascher introduces the mathematical ideas of people in traditional, or "small-scale," cultures often omitted from discussion of mathematics. Topics such as "Numbers: Words and Symbols," "Tracing Graphs in the Sand," "The Logic of Kin Relations," "Chance and Strategy in Games and Puzzles," and "The Organization and Modeling of Space" are traced in various cultures including the Inuit, Navajo, and Iroquois of North America; the Inca of South America; the Malekula, Warlpiri, Maori, and Caroline Islanders of Oceania, and the Tshokwe, Bushoong, and Kpelle of...

Mathematics Elsewhere is a fascinating and important contribution to a global view of mathematics. Presenting mathematical ideas of peoples from a variety of small-scale and traditional cultures, it humanizes our view of mathematics and expands our conception of what is mathematical.

Through engaging examples of how particular societies structure time, reach decisions about the future, make models and maps, systematize relationships, and create intriguing figures, Marcia Ascher demonstrates that traditional cultures have mathematical ideas that are far more...