Algebra in Dutch education, 1600-2000

Abstract

Algebra became part of mathematics education in the Netherlands in course of the seventeenth century. At first in the form of cossic algebra, but by the end of the century, the influence of the notation of Descartes was noticeable. In the eighteenth century, algebra was part of the basic curriculum of the Foundation of Renswoude. In the second half of the nineteenth century, algebra was seen as useful for a technical career. The number of topics in school algebra grew, but eventually algebra became mainly a subject in which complicated calculations were performed, which did not seem to serve a purpose outside the subject. At the end of the twentieth century, school algebra in lower secondary became a fairly informal way of solving ‘practical’ problems.