Paradigm and Pan-Paradigm in Mathematics and Art History

Young Hee Kye
(Department of Early Childhood Education, Kosin University, S. Korea)

Abstract: Mathematics teaching is often more effective when teachers connect the contents of mathematics with history, culture, and social events. In the history of mathematics, the “paradigm” theory from Thomas Kuhn’s scientific revolution is very effective to explain the revolutionary process of development in mathematics, and his theory has been widely quoted in the history of science and economics. However, it has not been appropriate to use his theory in the other fields. This is due to the fact that the scope of Kuhn’s paradigm theory is limited to mathematics and science. This research seeks to explain styles in art history and the appearance of new theories in mathematics history by the concept of “pan-paradigm”. Since this concept can be expanded to the entire history of culture, this researcher experienced effectiveness in teaching a mathematics course which is convergent in nature in a university setting.

Key words: paradigm, pan-paradigm, Gampil method, Differential•Integral calculus, Set theory, Topology, abstraction, Baroque art, Rococo art