The French Subcommission of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (1908–1914): Mathematicians Committed to the Renewal of School Mathematics

Abstract

The focus of this chapter is the French Subcommission of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, particularly its commitment to modernizing teaching practices and its fight for the democratization of the teaching of mathematics in France. The chapter shows that the subcommission totally supported the reforms introduced in the teaching of mathematics in France in the early twentieth century. The first part of the chapter studies the French subcommission and the authors of the series of reports that were compiled in preparation for a general report on progress in the teaching of mathematics in the various countries of the world presented at the 1912 International Congress of Mathematicians. Analysis thus shows a pluralist, open mathematical environment that was not restricted to learned elite groups. It also demonstrates that the members were not only experts in the field of teaching but also keen to make the work of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction more widely known. The second part of the chapter analyzes the nature of the mathematics promoted by the French Subcommission, as presented in the reports mentioned above. It highlights the determination of the members to promote a common – and resolutely modern – mathematical culture for all the sectors making up the education system in France at the time.