Development of the Number Concept — The Algebraic Method

Abstract

I must apologize for the disposition of my subject matter and in particular for the titles. I have made a sharp break between elementary arithmetic and algebra. Properly said, it is the break between the six-year basic school and the secondary school in our Dutch school system. No doubt it is ridiculous to behave as though arithmetic finishes and algebra starts exactly after the sixth grade. Maybe I should admit that this is a matter of practice and it will remain so in the near future. According to our present programmes primary school teachers will not boast more mathematics in their baggage than corresponds to the level of the eigth grade, because it is with this background in mathematics that they go to teacher training college, where mathematics is a facultative subject.

Die ganzen Zahlen hat der liebe Gott gemacht; alles andere is Menschenwerk.

L. Kronecker