Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

From Carriage Wheels To Interest Rates: The Evolution Of Word Problems In Algebra Textbooks From 1901 To Today, Jemma Lorenat, Elodie Arbogast, Ethan Baer, Carla Condori Bazan, Robert Bettinger, Emily Carpenter, Hiawatha Davis Iii, Derick Grant, Olivia Howe, Neil Kelley, Maya Minier, Naima Orozco-Valdivia, Alan Peck, Carolina Saavedra, Sumesh Shiwakoty, Hunter Sidel, Carter Stripp, Josephine Terrien, Simone Wolynski, Leana Yearwood

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In teaching algebra, extra-mathematical word problems can bridge the gap between questions about abstract numbers and questions about everyday life. Thus, more than other aspects of elementary algebra, we would expect word problems to have changed in the recent past. This paper documents the findings of a collective research project that examined the content of such word problems over the past century. Alongside amusing and provocative examples, this paper shows how students can participate in exploratory research with primary sources from the history of mathematics.