African Mathematical Union Commission on the History of Mathematics in Africa (AMU-CHMA )

The AMU-CHMA is the AMU commission (founded in 1986) whose main purpose is to promote the history of mathematics in Africa. This document will attempt to present the objectives of AMUCHMA, the main activities it has carried out since its creation and the prospects for the next three years.New Paragraph

AMU-CHMA Members

  • Chairperson : Ezzaim Laabid ( Morocco, North Africa)
  • Co-Chair : Doumbia Salimata (Ivory Cost, West Africa)
  • Secretary : Mogege Mosimege ( South Africa, Southern Africa)
  • Members : Anissa Harbili (Algeria, North africa) ; Jama Musse Jama (Somalia/Italia, East Africa) ; Adjamagbo Kossivi Pascal- Member (Togo/France, West Africa)

AMU-CHMA OBJECTIVES

The A.M.U. Commission on the History of Mathematics in Africa (AMUCHMA), formed in 1986, has the following objectives:

  • To improve communication among those interested in the history of mathematics in Africa;
  • To promote active cooperation between historians, mathematicians, archaeologists, ethnographers, sociologists, etc., doing research in, or related to, the history of mathematics in Africa;
  • To promote research in the history of mathematics in Africa, and the publication of its results, in order to contribute to the demystification of the still-dominant Eurocentric bias in the historiography of mathematics;
  • To cooperate with any and all organizations pursuing similar objectives.

AMU-CHMA Activities

 Period 1986-2018:

1- Publication of the AMUCHMA newsletter

This newsletter attempts to record, on one hand, information on all the activities of history of mathematics taking place on the African Continent and on the other hand, information on all the activities of history of mathematics taking place at the outside the African continent but concerning the African mathematical traditions. 

More than thirty issues appeared during the period 1986-2013. The numbers appeared in three languages (English, French and Arabic), during the first years. In recent years only the French and English versions have continued to be published. These publications took place on paper 

The English versions are also published on digital media. Thus, all the issues published in English can be consulted at the following address:

Goto Newsletter

2- Publication of special numbers

Some issues of the newsletter have been devoted to specific topics:

  • No. 30: African Doctors in Mathematics;
  • No. 32: African Doctors in Mathematic education;
  • No. 33: African women doctors in mathematics.

3- Publication of books

    i) Mathematics in African History and Cultures, An Annotated Bibliography (Ahmed DJEBBAR &Paulus GERDES) 

French edition: Union Mathématique Africaine, Commission Africaine d’Histoire des Mathématiques (AMUCHMA) ; U.F.R. de Mathématiques, Université des Sciences et des Technologies de Lille,2007. 

English editions: First edition: African Mathematical Union, Cape Town, South Africa, 2004; second edition: Lulu Editeur, 2007 

   ii) History of Mathematics in Africa, AMUCHMA 25 years (Ahmed DJEBBAR &Paulus GERDES)


Period 2018-2021:

1- Publications

Publication of the AMU-CHMA newsletter:

  • Issue 34 was released digitally in January 2019.
  • Issue 35 will be published in March 2021.

Special issues publications:

An issue on theses produced by Africans on the history of mathematics and on education is in preparation. The date initially scheduled for its release is June 2020. The circumstances of the pandemic have delayed this release; it will take place during the first half of 2021.


2- Organization of scientific conferences

Three events were planned in the initial project of AMU-CHMA activities:

  • International Conference on History of Mathematics, June 26-29, 2019, Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire (AMU Commission on History of Mathematics under the auspices of AMU and Mathematical Society of Côte d’Ivoire)
  • International Conference on The Ethnomathematic: impact on Mathematics Education in Africa in Memory of Prof. Paulus Gerdes, Mozambique (AMU both Commissions on History of Mathematics and Mathematics Education in Africa) November 2020.
  • 14th Maghrebian Symposium on the History of Arab Mathematics, 2020, Marrakesh, Morrocco.