The Rational Numbers in Three Moments of the History of Brazilian School Mathematics

Abstract

In this article we describe and analyze the approach given to the rational number concept in secondary school mathematics in Brazil through the examination of some textbooks published in the period from 1900 to1970. Three different moments are focused: 1) the first three decades of the twentieth century; 2) from 1931 to 1960; 3) the sixties and the first half of the seventies. We emphasize the differences found among those moments and try to characterize the prevailing approach in each one of them. Keywords: Rational Numbers. Mathematics Textbooks. History of Brazilian School Mathematics.