Theoharis Theoharis*
One of the many globalized words of the Greek language is 'mathematics'. One view is that after the mother tongue course, the 'mathematics' course is the second most important course. But since mathematics applies everywhere in the universe, while the mother tongue is spoken to a comparatively very limited extent, another view is that the subject 'mathematics' is the most important of all subjects. There is probably no other point of view. 'Mathematics' is therefore defined as the science which studies matters concerning numbers, shapes, and functional or algorithmic relationships (laws of nature, NOT of the state) of all measurable entities of the universe and nature, hence 'physico-mathematics'. However, most English speakers, including professionals in the mathematical sciences, are surprised by the information that the subject '-math-' in the words 'mathematics' and 'polymath' (= very learned) is etymologically the same.
For the etymology of the entry 'mathematics' dictionaries and encyclopedias record: mathematics < course < manthano. (Many other words of Greek, Latin, English, etc. are etymologically related to 'mathematics', e.g. meditate, meditation, dementia, ... They also state that the current meaning of the term 'mathematics' can be traced back to the Classical Age, specifically in the surviving writings of Plato (circa 428-347BC) and Aristotle (384-322BC), which are the oldest surviving scientific writings in all of world history. However, they do NOT answer the important question of the title of this note, i.e "why was the scientific discipline and the particular COURSE named 'MATHEMATICS' given THIS name?"
Over the past three decades I have had the opportunity to pose this simple question to many dozens of graduate students and professors in the various mathematical sciences as well as linguistics and other disciplines. Significantly, I was never given the RIGHT answer. However, I received a very interesting response (and only one!), which should be made public to concern educators of all disciplines and at all levels who claim that their primary pursuit is to shape young people with creative, innovative, and critical thinking. So the revelatory answer is this: "So long, so many decades into the wonderful questions of mathematics — study, research, teaching — I, who consider myself a 'mathematician,' why has this great question never crossed my mind?" To further illustrate the importance of this so fundamental as it is thorny subject, I add that some barbs, some sleds are likely to discover the correct answer when presented with the question in question. However, how likely are these sledgehammers, these sledgehammers, to find the right answer WITHOUT being asked that particular question?
So the stated, however desirable, primary goal of the modern educational establishment actually proves to be elusive, unattainable, and futile, not only from the presumptions and arguments of this note, but also from the presumptions and arguments contained in many dozens of my other publications since the 1970s concerning many and various other disciplines in both the English and Greek languages. So when the teachers themselves have proven that they do NOT possess any critical thinking, etc., how will they be able to teach it to their students?
So why was this particular COURSE named 'MATHEMATICS' given THIS name?'
*Physicomathematician
